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At the woman's prompting, Ari tied a few bandages around O'oti's
wounds, though not doing his usual meticulous job. Most of the damage by
clubs was internal, so if O'oti was going to die, a few decent bandages
would not make much of a difference. He then set about tending his own
wounds with his usual practiced skill. Fortunately, for all of the
battering he had taken, Ari was not bleeding all over the place, so the
pain would not bother him overmuch and the wounds would heal more quickly
than sword punctures.
Meanwhile, Xar'la had finished checking what was left of her fellows
and had taken a seat on a dead lizard man and was pouring over a map,
grumbling to herself about what she would do with two unconscious
companions and two dead ones.
"They usually just shove them in a hole in the wall and maybe come
back for them later," offered Aristobulus.
"What?" grumbled Xar'la, pulling her attention away from the map.
"They who?"
"Adventurers. They usually just leave their unconscious and dead
companions someplace safe and return for them later. Maybe."
"We can't just leave them here," Xar'la pointed out. "I can't stand
them, but I at least owe it to them to try and have them raised from the
dead. We got enough jewelry off of those lizard men to afford having Epi
and Egamus brought back to life. But we can't just leave them here, since
they have to be brought back to life before their bodies start to
decompose. Otherwise the simpler resurrection magics won't work, and I'm
not sure I would want them after they start to decompose."
"What's all of this 'we' stuff?" Aristo asked of her once she was
silent for a moment.
"You're going to help me. After all, I can't take care of this lot
by my self."
"And should I refuse to waste my time helping you lug a bunch of dead
bodies around?"
"How about this," offered Xar'la. "You help me and I won't kill
you."
Aristo considered inviting her to try it, but then almost smacked
himself for forgetting what he was almost ready to walk away from. True,
Xar'la probably had a few more magic potions which she was stashing away
for future use, but there was the more important fact that Egamus and
O'oti were mages and probably had spellbooks on their person. Had he
forgotten Jimar so easily? How could he when he still carried her
disgustingly over-sized spellbook in his over-crowded pack.
So Aristo resolved to stick with these humans long enough to
appropriate whatever useful stuff they might have, but without Xar'la
noticing it. After all, just cracking Xar'la over the head with his
blackjack and making off with the stuff had no finesse to it. Stealing it
without her noticing would be far more enjoyable.
Besides, a nice little plan was starting to come together in Aristo's
mind. "Since you make your offer so eloquently, how could I ever refuse?
And come to think of it, I do know of a safe place for you to hold up for
awhile and get some assistance."
Xar'la started to offer him the map, but Ari waved it off. He
remembered where he had been all too well and would rather have forgotten
it. And he certainly did not need a map to tell him where to go.
Besides, he knew right were he was going to take her.
Between the two of them, Ari and Xar'la started carrying and dragging
her companions down several passages and to the stairs up to the previous
level. However, Aristo started to doubt that his idea was worth the
effort when he was dragging the dead weight of Axon down a passage, plate
armor giving off the loud squealing of metal on stone. Aristo expected
some beastie, annoyed by the noise, to show up and silence them forever.
And Aristo would not have blamed any chap for doing so. He himself hated
making loud discordant noises, like that of dragging the unconscious and
metal encompassed body of a human.
Getting them up the stairs was even more difficult, especially when
Ari was pulling Epiyutex's body up the stairs, her head bounced on every
step, her broken neck making matters even worse. Eventually, they were
all up the stairs and wrestled into a large room where Aristo directed
Xar'la to help him pile her companions at one end of the room.
Aristo raised his arms and fluttered his hands ridiculously,
muttering some strange words, and generally imitating a human casting a
spell. He himself was not given to such ridiculous extravagance, but then
he was trying to convince Xar'la that he was casting a spell.
"What are you doing?" demanded Xar'la, distrusting this elf who had
been so reluctant to help her.
Finished with his feigning of spell-casting, Aristo said, "I've just
created the illusion of a wall in front of you. This way you will be safe
while I go and get some help."
"But I don't see any wall," she complained, still not trusting
Aristo.
"Of course not," commented Aristo, feigning exasperation. "How do
you expect to see out if you could see the wall? Besides, you already
know that there isn't a wall there, so you wouldn't believe it if a wall
were to suddenly appear in front of you anyway."
Xar'la made some small sound of understanding and started to move
towards Aristo so she could find out if she could see this illusory wall
from the outside.
"Don't," Ari warned her. "Stay back. If you touch the illusion it
will be destroyed."
She stopped, remembering something vague about many illusions ceasing
to exist when touched. Then another insight struck her an she demanded,
"Hang about. If there is an illusion of a wall in front of me, then how
could you see me walking towards it?" Was this some sort of trick on the
elf's part?
Ari started to act more exasperated. "I know it is an illusion --
and besides, I cast the spell -- so I can see through it and perceive its
appearance as well as what lies beyond it."
That made sense, thought Xar'la as she made another sound indicating
her understanding.
"You wait here and I will be back shortly with some friends," Ari
informed the woman.
"What friends?" inquired Xar'la, hoping they were not someone with
whom she had already had some dubious dealings and who might therefore
want her head on a pole.
"Just some halflings," said Ari as he moved towards one of the exits
from the room.
It was only a short distance to where the halflings were residing.
Aristo rounded the corner, seeing that there were a pair of halflings
standing guard, leaning indolently on down-sized spears. Aristo waved to
them cheerfully, calling out, "Hello! Remember me?"
The guards stared at Aristobulus for a moment before realizing exactly
who he was. Once recognition dawned upon them, they started charging
towards him, calling out for assistance, looking utterly comical as they
jogged after Aristo, their chubby faces turning red from the sudden
exertion.
Aristo retreated in the general direction of the chamber where Xar'la
was waiting, easily outdistancing the short, fat halflings. He darted
down a passage next to that room and then went to the stairs descending to
the third level of chambers.
He knew that the halflings would find Xar'la and her companions and
would inquire after him. The idea of the ensuing confusion and chaos was
perfect. He wished that he could hang around to observe it all: Xar'la
realizing that the illusion didn't exist, the recognition that it was he
who had appropriated the halflings' jewels, the discovery that he had also
lightened the packs of Xar'la and her companions. Aristo grinned in spite
of himself, wishing he could watch it, but knowing that the halflings
would start to get irritating if he did. What he would give for a good
spell of invisibility, or better yet, a ring of invisibility. Now then he
could have some real fun.
Aristo examined the potion he had lifted from Xar'la's pack. Someone
had conveniently labeled it as a potion of flying. Too bad, he had been
hoping for a potion of healing. That would make adventuring and combat
ever so much more pleasing.
After stuffing the magic potion into a roll of clothing in his pack
where it would hopefully be safe, Aristobulus withdrew a spellbook from
his pack. He had lifted it from Egamus's backpack. Ari wondered what
useful spells it might contain. It had been Egamus who had set off that
burst of flame, hadn't it? Ari would love to have a good fire spell. He
loved fire and watching things burn. It was ever so exciting to watch
something burn up, almost as grand as seeing something explode.
Unfortunately, the spellbook would have to wait until later. He was
not in very good condition due to those cursed humanoid lizards, although
he had had it worse. Ari renewed his protective spell, draining more of
his magical powers. He would only be able to cast one more spell, and he
realized it would be wise to save his power in case he should need it
later. So for now it would be wisest to simply find some safe place to
rest for a short while.
Aristo wandered around for awhile through a number of long passages,
passing up a couple of side-chambers which lacked any real defensive
value. At one point, Aristo ducked around a corner to conceal himself
from a pair of large, vaguely humanoid, bird-like creatures. He allowed
them to pass, doubting they would be very interested in an intellectual
conversation.
A couple more passages led Aristo to a moderately spacious room. But
when he entered to have a quick look around, a tail or tentacle or
something wrapped itself around him, squeezing with surprising force.
However, it was unable to squeeze through his protective wards. Already
having his sword in hand, Ari thrust at the wraith-like body floating just
above him, piercing its breast.
The creature loosened its hold, flopping limply to the floor. Closer
inspection showed the creature to be half bat, half serpent, and all dead.
Aristo realize that luck was on his side for once. Despite its wraith-
like appearance, the creature did have a physical body. Had it been a
real spirit, Aristo would have needed an enchanted weapon to harm it.
This served to inspire Aristo to obtain a magic weapon, since he knew
that there were creatures which could only be harmed by magic weapons, and
even the silver alloy from which his sword had been forged would not
affect something which had no real body. Besides, a magic sword would
help shorten any fights he would undoubtedly get caught in.
But still, no one was likely to just simply give Aristo a magic
weapon. Of course, who said that they had to know they had given it to
him? They might be like those halflings, and not notice their generosity
until after the fact.
Taking a look around the room, he found that there was only a short
passage leading off to one side, which soon ended. There were two doors
opening off of the passage, both opening into mid-sized chambers, probably
meant for storage of something or other, and at the moment storing only
broken furnishings, some wooden planks, and a few empty barrels.
Since these rooms were nicely defended and would therefore hopefully
provide Aristo with an uninterrupted rest, Aristo selected the more
cluttered of the two, finding its chaotic jumble of furnishings appealing
to his chaotic side and annoying to the meticulous, highly ordered side of
his mind.
After barricading the warped door with a mound of broken and useless
chairs, Ari kicked a few unidentifiable articles off of a wobbly, three-
legged couch and settled down for a nice rest.