The man smartly takes a step back, massage his shoulder where Sevak was gripping it. Keeping an eye on Paq's knife, he says, "You'll have to move fast. People will notice us missing soon."
'Go up the tunnel, take two lefts, then push through the wall on your right. Should take you into the boss's own room. He is probably in there. he just announced some big push against the soldiers at the river, so he is probably planning that out. Unless he has heard prisoners have escaped. Then he will be out hunting you." the man man smiles grimly, 'If that is the case, I'd suggest you run. He has a taste for blood."
Huddled on the dirty floor the woman whimpers in the dark.
"And I have a taste for petty tyrants," Sevak replies, then looks over to his companions.
"If you have any suggestions as to how to proceed, in particular how to help our rescued prisoner at present, please tell me."
Hyo Soon instantly says, 'We can't leave her here. She'll get eaten by that snake thing."
At this remark the captured bandit's eyebrows go up and he tries to ask, "Is that real?" but is caught off by Paq.
'Well, we can't take her with us. Not only would she endanger us, she might get hurt."
"Then I can stay here with her, and wait for you to return, either in victory or in defeat." Hyo Soon says bravely and Sevak realizes how much it costs the young wizard to offer staying, basically alone, in this dark empty passageway.
Sevak hesitates a long moment, then nods. "Thank you, Hyo Soon. I think that will be best."
He looks over to the captive bandit. "I would strongly suggest that you leave this place entirely, and not by the way we came in."
Finally he turns to Paq. "We must move. Our time is short. Paq, will you please go first and scout the way?"
Hyo Soon nods, her face pale and white in the gloom. She kneels down next to the woman and murmurs some words in her ear. For once the staff lies at her side, momentarily forgotten although if fear or compassion Sevak is unsure.
The other bandit snaps an ironic salute, 'You are the boss. Good luck, you'll need it." Without saying anything he darts down down the dark tunnel, grabbing his lantern as he goes.
Paq grins, "Any bets on how far he gets until our snake friend finds him?"
When Sevak speaks to him the ratfolk looks in puzzlement, "Please? What is this, an Imperial ball?" The little figure bows grandly, his whiskers brushing the dusty floor, 'Allow me to have the first dance, sir."
With that he moves into the murky darkness, silent as a shadow.
Sevak follows, taking out his healing wand as he moves. He whispers the command word, healing himself a bit, thinking that he will need all his strength shortly.
He keeps moving, listening for others, then does it again.
With Paq a barely discernible shadow int he distance, Sevak follows. They proceed using the words of the captured bandit, moving down the dusty quiet corridors. Unlike the area behind them, they see no fungus here, just dry empty rooms. The furniture long rotted, the paint faded away, just the bare architecture remains.
They turn into a larger then average passage, and Sevak feels a draft. Looking up he sees open skylights, the glass long gone. The sky above is a bright blue, and lets down a beam of sunlight into the otherwise oppressive gloom. Fleetingly Sevak wonders what this place like in the Imperial age.
Then ahead of him, he sees Paq stop. "I think I found something. Come, but carefully." the ratfolk hisses, obviously ignoring the daylight streaming in.
Sevak looks around carefully as he follows Paq.
He is well aware that the bandit's directions could well be to a trap rather than the Red Mouth... but the Red Mouth's reputation suggests that his subordinates would view directions to his lair as a trap in itself.
He cautiously comes up to where Paq stands and looks for what gave the ratfolk pause.
Carefully Sevak approaches, peering through the gloom. Paq is bent over and points to a crack int he floor that looks quite unremarkable to the nagaji.
"Trap." Paq says simply, and then adds, "Old one. Probably placed here when they built this place. I'm not sure what it does..."
His words are broken off as Sevak hears noise behind them. The tramping of feet and shouting of voices. Glancing back, he even spots the glimmering firelight of torches.
Sevak glances back, then looks forward again.
"I would rather have it between us and them. Can we bypass it quickly while leaving it set?"
The ratfolk shakes his head briefly, "They knew how to build them in those days. It would take time...time we don't have. We can risk it, or fight with it at our backs."
Behind them the sounds come closer and will be on them in a moment.
Sevak takes a moment to look carefully, trying to gauge how far the trap trigger goes.
He is in too much of a hurry to really inspect things the way he needs too, however.
"Let us hope the trigger is not too long," Sevak says, backing up a bit, then running and trying to jump far enough to clear the trapped area.
Sevak, with a running start, sails into the air and lands on the dry, dusty stone. For a tense moment he waits, ears pricked for the sound of grinding rock or rolling gears. Hearing nothing he relaxes for a moment.
Behind him Paq attempts the same.
With far more grace Paq actually jumps farther then Sevak, landing lightly on his feet at the far end. He nods at Sevak and says, "Let's hope that slow them down."
Behind them, Sevak spots four bandits turn a corner, all carrying swords and lanterns. They are instantly spotted but they hold back, as if expected a trap.
Then, to Sevak's horror, he hears voices from ahead, from their side of the trap.
"Dog's blood." Paq curses under his breath.
"Clearly this place is known to them. Likely the directions we were given were, themselves, a trap," Sevak whispers back. He'd considered the possibility, but what other choice had they had?
"We may have to fight our way through, but there may be more traps ahead," he continues. "Perhaps worse, this is unlikely to go unnoticed by anyone remaining here."
As he speaks, he looks ahead to see if there are any signs of more traps.
'Or just a natural choke point." Paq says, fairly, "the directions might have been good, just no one around this."
Both scan the floor but Sevak is unsure of what he sees.
From behind, he sees the men hanging back, but the voices ahead are coming closer, their torchlight brightening the corridor ahead. That group seems the larger, and Sevak can hear an authoritative voice barking orders.
Then Paq suggests, 'Set off the traps and flee in the confusion?"
"A last resort," Sevak replies. That voice ahead... was it the Red Mouth? If it was, this would hardly be the time to face him...
Aloud, he continued, "We know too little about what the traps do. They might only hit those standing in the trigger area."
The way ahead is suddenly full of firelight and jostling bodies and Sevak can hear a voice, speaker still unseen, 'Surrender now and I won't flay the flesh from your bones."
They were too close, and there was little hope of getting another chance. He would have to try now. He thinks to Zhèngyì, It seems we will try your idea now. I hope we have something of the strength of Justice you spoke of to aid us.
"Ah, so the Red Mouth comes to face me at last?" Sevak calls out in response, trying for bravado and hoping to sting the other nagaji's pride. "Or will you hide behind your men and send more of them to die first? It is you I have come here for, and I tire of killing others instead."
There is a muttering as the guards hear the words. Out of that silence the Red Mouth's voice sounds, "A fellow nagaji?" there is true surprise in his tone. "It has been many a year since I have seen such."
Then, around the corner, the Red Mouth steps into the light. He is the same imposing figure Sevak saw at a distance outside, the same commanding mixture of disdain and power. On his arm are a twin pair of bronze armbands, glinting in the filtered sunlight.
He waves a thick, muscular arm at Sevak, "Surely, you can see reason? You say you are tired of killing. Fair enough. Surrender and I promise to take you alive. I swear by Nalinivati herself. " A dismissive nod and adds, "Both you and your servant. It is more then you offered me."
Then, "If not, you will be killed by my men. I am loath to kill a fellow nagaji, but obviously I cannot allow intruders to wander my halls without a price."
"Surrender? I have seen what you do with your prisoners. Slow suffering is scarcely better than death," Sevak replies, warily watching the Red Mouth. He keeps an eye on where he steps, wondering if there are more traps in this hall. "And while your men might wear me down in time, I do not know how many are willing to die for you to test that theory. I came for you alone, whether to speak or to fight... and after seeing your handiwork, I doubt you will listen to words."
The Red Mouth pauses, looking closely at Sevak. As if judging.
Then, almost conversationally, "A Iskassala assassin. The blind devotion is a trademark but must admit, I am surprised they chose one of our own kind to do the deed. Crossing the fields around us must have been an unenviable task. Then again, when have the Naga cared about the lives of the likes of us?"
He taps one of his bracelets thoughtfully, weighing his words. "Surely you wonder why? Or have they told you lies, why I fled? Perhaps lies from Iskassala herself? But lies they are, nagaji. They don't know what I know, what I discovered. But they must guess, if you are here."
There is a sudden zeal in his tone, a look of the fanatic in his eyes, 'I give you one last chance, fellow nagaji. Surrender, and you can learn what I have learned, hear what I have found. I can free you from the chains binding you. Throw down your blade, instead of dying for a master that cares nothing for your life."
"I fled Iskassar on pain of death," Sevak replies, deciding to be frank. "Iskassala is no mistress of mine. I am here because of your men--their depredations upon these lands must stop. They trap themselves and all who dwell in these lands in a cycle of misery that shall not end until someone stops them."
The nagaji bandit leaders lets out a annoyed sigh and scowls. 'Very well. You will not listen to reason? Then force it shall be, assassin. Save your lies."
He waves a thick arm to his men, who raises their bows and other weapons.
Three men raises bows, aiming at Sevak.
Two arrows hit home, lancing into Sevak's side.
Behind them the men don't rush forward, the trap acting as a temporary barrier. Ahead, there are seven more bandits but they pause for a moment, as if waiting for the Red Mouth.
Sevak winces as the arrows strike him, but he maintains his focus. He takes a hand off of Zhèngyì and points forward, launching a fireball into the bandits.
Then he quite deliberately steps backwards onto the trap, trusting Paq at least will be able to dodge whatever happens and escape.
The bandits dodge much of the flames, although it looks to burn them badly. The Red Mouth however, is hit fully on and vanishes temporarily behind the surging flames.
In the vaults of his mind, Zhengyi cries in triumph.
Then Sevak steps backward, activating the trap.
There is a grinding, whirring sound as ancient machinery comes to life, moving on long disused tracks. Ahead of him the Red Mouth grins, a burned and imposing figure. At Sevak's side Paq squeaks in agitation and says, 'A little warning next time..."
Without warning, the stone floor under their feet turns to gooey muck. With a consistency like oatmeal, both Paq and Sevak start to stick into the floor.
On the edge of the stony soup, the Red Mouth, raises his arms and the bracers glow momentarily. With sudden new agility, the nagaji jumps to the side and climbs along the stony wall, like a scaly spider.
"You are a fool, friend. And now you will die for your stubbornness." he says, coming over to where Sevak stands, awkwardly upright in the sudden mud. The bandit leader stares at the trap and the resulting mess with a keen eye.
He shrugs, obviously not learning enough. Instead, clinging to the walls with his feet, he lashes out with a iron-hard fist at Sevak's stomach.
The blow hits the ex-druid in the gut with the force of a battering ram. The wind is knocked out of him in a whoosh and a explosion of pain fills him. Legs shaky and lungs heaving, he feels like he just ran for miles.
The archers behind the Red Mouth don't fire, obviously worried they will hit their leader, while those behind seem to lack bows and equally unhappy about entering the stony morass.
Even through the pain... Sevak sees one opportunity. He tries to focus...
Sevaks magic fizzles and the climbing nagaji remains gripped to the stones.
"You are a stubborn one." he says before unleashing a rain of blows, fists clenched.
Reeling, the ex-druid nearly falls into the stony morass around him, Looking up, he sees the bandits let loose a flight of arrows. They seem to grow so large as to fill his entire field of view. Then a red explosion of pain across his entire body, overlying the pain from the hard fists of the nagaji.
The world loses balance and starts to tumble, and colors blur, fade.
Blackness engulfs him.
Sevak is floating in a world of utter darkness. It is not the heavens for their are no stars. He is not underground for their is no floors or walls. Just himself, in the abyss.
Then, out of it, comes an all too familiar voice and matching red eyes.
"Together, again? It has been too long." the shadow naga says, remaining part of the endless expanse surrounding Sevak.
'Things do not seem to be going so well for you, servant of mine."
As darkness swallows him, Sevak's one regret is that he may have dragged Paq down with him.
Blackness. Nothing. It is peaceful, in a way... and then his peace is interrupted by a pair of eye he had hoped to escape.
He turns away from the eyes. "Am I not to be free from you even in death?" he asks, bitterly.
It is odd turning away from something in a place with no direction, but Sevak manages it. There is no sensation of floating or flying though.
"Oh, you are not dead. Well, not yet anyway." The shadow naga says, surprisingly sounding pleased, 'Which is surprising, considering how badly you were beaten."
A pause and then, "You know, you could have been victorious using the powers I gave you. Transforming into a naga would have terrified that rabble. But no, you'd rather die and condemn all of your allies to horrific torture? Does not sound very heroic to me, nagaji."
"And then what?" Sevak replies. "Word of the nagaji who turned into a naga would spread. Would Iskassala sit quietly when I was on her doorstep? Am I to start a war to save myself and them?"
He shakes his head. "Perhaps it is better that I die and remove my foolishness from the world. I wish I had not dragged the others down with me, but at least they will be rid of me."
The naga's voice hisses in displeasure, 'You fear your former master so much? Have the naga beaten your kind down so thoroughly and completely that even now, after all of their betrayals and punishment, you cower and their feet, like a whipped dog?" There is actual anger in the voice, "At least this bandit stands up to those who wronged him. He may be more worthy then you."
Then the voice subsides, 'No, my servant. You will not die, at least not today. In fact, you should wake up."
The sibilant ethereal voice of the naga drifts away, replaced with the harsher words of a nagaji.
"Wake up."
There is a feeling of cold water on his face, and Sevak gasps, as if coming out of a dream.
He is in a dark cell, arms chained to a dank stone wall. The stone-flagged floor is old and grimy, greasy to the touch. A heavy iron barred door is open in front of him. The chains are not overly tight or painful.
Holding a bucket, the Red Mouth stands over the ex-druid, looking down. Otherwise they are alone.
"Ah, you awake. Good. I was worried we had lost you." Sevak realize the bandit leader is speaking Naga, just like that shadow naga that haunts his dreams and visions.
'Here, at least, your stubbornness serves you well."
Internally, Sevak checks the damage. He is hurt but nearly as badly as he should be. The arrows that lanced his side are gone and his scales healed over. Apparently he had been given some measure of healing magic.
The Red Mouth narrows his eyes, leaning in, "What did you see, my stubborn friend? You were muttering in your sleep. It did not seem pleasant."
Sevak blinks and suppresses a groan, trying to mentally catch up to the change from darkness to the material world.
He hesitates a moment. The Red Mouth is not his friend, no matter how often he uses that word, but... what was the point of lying?
"The Dark One," he whispers, with a slight, involuntary shudder. "She has haunted my dreams since... my exile."
"The Dark One?" for the first time, the insolent grin and easy confidence vanishes. Actual concern crosses his face.
"Do you mean Iskassala herself?" The nagaji shakes his head, "Our former masters have terrible powers sometimes and are as callous as demons."
Sighing the nagaji stands up, looking down, "I'd like to talk to you, friend, but not here in a damp jail cell. Upstairs I have warm food, soft chairs, fresh air. I can even unchain you." he holds up one clawed finger, 'That is, if you promise to behave. Do you so promise? Or would you rather wallow in the filth down here and rot?"
Sevak hesitates a moment, then nods. "I will do no further violence here," he says.
The thought of whether Paq and Hyo Soon were suffering somewhere reared up, but his mind skittered away from it, still too overwhelmed to start dealing with the consequences of his actions.
'Excellent." The Red Mouth says, giving Sevak a heart clap on the shoulder. 'Come on it."
From around a corner four heavily armed guards enter. The Red Mouth grins at Sevak's look and adds, 'Well, can you blame me? You fought well. Consider it a compliment."
Sevak is quickly unchained and helped to his feet. The guards don't grab him exactly, but he is....firmly escorted out of the cell. The group, with the Red Mouth at the front, begin climbing up a series of old crumbling stairs.
"I've been trying to repair places, but this place is far too large to do all at once. All in good time, however. A nagaji must be patient." the Red Mouth says, as they climb.
Soon they leave the cells below, and enter into a series of larger, nicer corridors. Here and there Sevak sees signs of life, piles of garbage or recent soot stains. They must be getting close to where the bandits live.
Eventually, Sevak is ushered into a long, low room. The stonework here is still solid, the dark dirty walls hinting at colorful mosaics underneath. The floor is fine marble, although cracked and worn. Tattered tapestries hang from the ceiling and corroded metal statues line the walls.
Most of the room is taken up by a massive wooden table, seemingly carved from a single tree trunk, cut long ways, over sixty feet long. Chairs, in various states of repair, line the sides.
This was once a grand dining hall, fit for visiting Emperors and Viceroys. The Red Mouth seems to enjoy the battered remains of Imperial grandeur.
Sevak is placed in a sit at the right hand of the head of the table, where the bandit leader sits.
Quickly, hot food is brought to them. Piping hot loaves of bread, fish soup and entire hams. Judging from the hungry looks from both the guards and the servers, Sevak has a feeling the human bandits are not eating nearly so well. Even so, the food fills the old room with rich scents and soon Sevak's mouth is watering. When had he last eaten such a fine meal?
After the food is laid out, the Red Mouth waves a hand. 'Please eat."
Sevak is hungry, and yet... looking at the food, and the men, he cannot help but think of how this food was acquired. Did someone die when they stole this? Will someone die because this was taken from them?
His stomach turns sour at the thought, though that hardly eases his hunger. He looks over at his host.
"This is far too much for two," he says. "Who else will be eating this?"
The Red Mouth shrugs and grabs a hunk of ham. "We will eat our fill, and whatever is left will be given to the better of my fighters. We, the nagaji, should get first chance, should we not? Did we not both suffer too long at the hands of uncaring and cruel masters? How many feasts did you stand and watch unfold in the palaces? What did they do with the leftovers, did they invite you to the feast? I think not."
He pushes a bowl of steaming soup toward Sevak and then asks, 'So, you spoke of exile. Come, tell me the story. It has been too long since I have spoken to a fellow countryman. Leave nothing out." He begins chewing on his ham, not showing a trace of manners. Grease and spit fly about the bandit leader.
Sevak listens to the Red Mouth's diatribe in stony silence. He takes the soup, and eats slowly. He would eat... but only enough to maintain his strength.
"I served Iskassala," he replies when asked. "There was a courtier I reported to. He told me I had a mission, to go to a shrine and perform a ritual."
"He lied. That place was not one I was meant to see. When Iskassala discovered what he had done, she killed him and banished me, on pain of death should I remain."
The Red Mouth has no such compunctions about the food, and eats with gusto. He listens to Sevak's terse words carefully, pausing between swallows to hear better.
After he ends, the bandit leader laughs, 'You need to work on telling stories, my friend. Surely it was more exciting then you let on?" After a pause, he adds, 'And what is this about the Dark One? Is that Iskassala?"
'Also, if you were banished, I'm surprised she left you your eyes and ears. Is it not her custom to blind those who find her disfavor? or has she gone soft in her later years?" he laughs at the absurdity of such a statement.
Sevak shudders. "Something I saw at the shrine. Bad memories that haunt me still. I would rather not speak of it."
"Iskassala did blind me," he adds. "It was only with the help of my friend that I see now. How, I am sworn not to say, for reasons you may well guess. Iskassala... it is enough to say that after I was cured, I fled the jungle with her trackers close behind me."
The Red Mouth becomes thoughtful then, eyes narrowing. He puts down the remains of a ham bone and says, softly, 'This shrine. Was it on an island off the coast, on top of a rocky reef?"
Seeing Sevak's reaction the nagaji leans back, "I know of this place. It connects to why I am here and not in Nagajor."
He settles in and begins his story, "As all of our kind, I have long desired power. However, while I was always stronger and quicker then most, I viewed information as the surest route to influence. So I kept my ears open for old stories or rumors of Iskassala."
"That shrine you speak of, it was once a common testing ground, long before either of our times. The naga would send likely warriors there, to enhance their abilities."
The nagaji raises a claw "But then, long ago, Iskassala went to a distant land on an unknown mission. When she returned, she closed the shrine and forbid anyone to visit it, on pain of death. This much alone was difficult to find out, but I wished to know more, to find the name of the place she traveled to."
The larger nagaji sighs in memory, "It was not easy. I searched through old, half-rotten scrolls and books int he archives, questioned the oldest and wisest nagaji. I even went among the humans and searched out their old traditions."
The Red Mouth smiles, "But in the end I prevailed. I know the location to which she traveled, at least the name of it."
The smiling teeth are stained with red dye, so much like blood.
"What do you think of my tale, better then yours, yes?"
Sevak ponders a moment.
"It is also incomplete," he comments, warily.
The Red Mouth nods, 'Very true. You wish to know the name of the place?" he chuckles, "Indeed you would, but I will not give away the name of such a prize dearly won without a price. But I think you make find it attractive."
He grows more serious, standing up, "I rule this area but it is not enough. I am going to expand, all along this river. The small farming hamlets, the wild lands, even the military bases, I will subject them all to myself. Unify them, guard them, turn them into a storehouse for an army."
He begins to pace, food forgotten, "Too long have I acted the bandit, raiding caravans and small towns. Now I need to be a warlord, to seize land and make it productive, useful, powerful. But the way is hard and I need allies, strong allies with skills."
he turns those eyes on Sevak, 'Would you join me? I could give you an area to call your own, under me, of course. Together, we could transform this wild and disunited land into a seed, a seed to grow a force worthy of us. Perhaps even...." he pauses then rushes on, 'Perhaps even worthy of turning on the Naga and claiming our vengeance."
'Serve me loyally, and I will share my secrets and my research. Perhaps you may even make headway where I have been stymied these many years." The commanding, imperious nagaji leans over the table, hands pressed downward, muscular arms trembling.
'What say you, Sevak? Do you truly wish to remain a wanderer? A penniless tramp, kicked and spurned by lesser races? Or would you rather become a powerful and wise ruler, commanding others to do your bidding? Would that not be finer? Is that not the proper way of things? Will you join me?"
Sevak bows his head slightly. Power again? For the briefest of moments he had wondered if, in his own way, the Red Mouth had seen something of the wrongness of the naga... but no, here he was copying them.
Still, it was possible that if he went along with him, an opportunity might arise...
No.
No. How could he help, or even pretend to help, one who was oppressing others again? Had he not suffered enough for doing so before? Was his resolution to turn against such things so weak?
"No."
He almost doesn't realize that he said the word aloud, but before Sevak has time to reconsider, the words pour out.
"No. I do not wish to know the name of this place you seek. I have seen enough of the naga's places of power to last a lifetime, and much of what I have seen I would unsee if I could."
Oddly, Sevak's voice remained calm, level, as if he were discussing the weather rather than saying words that might well lead to his death.
"No, I will not join you. I have no desire to rule over others, to make them serve me out of fear or enslave them to my will."
"No, that is not the proper way of things. There is nothing inherently better in we nagaji than in any other people or race. Indeed, all I have seen makes me wonder if we and the naga are not alike in being worse than most others."
"You said you had seen the truth of the naga. It seems to me that you have seen only the how, the what. Have you ever stopped to question the why?"