Time to Travel

[MalagAste]

The time had finally come. Malag-aste checked the contents of his backpack over once more before slinging it over his shoulder. The sound of footsteps echoed through the halls of the castle as Ariakas approached.

“Vendui’ My Friend” Malag said as he greeted Ari with a salute.

“Greetings to you Friend.” Ari replied returning the salute. “Are you ready? Why again are we going to Ice?”

“I need to jog my old memory and it’s the best place to do it. Trust me I have no desire to go there either especially this time of year when it’s so cold out anyway, but I need to do this for Johns sake.” Malag said. “And I need your help. I dare not try this alone.”

“What exactly do you need me to do?” Ariakas asked.

“I need you to watch my back and keep the Fiends occupied while I take a little trip down memory lane.” Malag told him with a slight grin as they exited the castle and mounted their horses.

The ride north was pleasant enough and quiet, neither man spoke as they rode to the base of the mountain far to the north of Newcastle. They both slid from their mounts and looked into the cave opening at the base of the mountain. Malag felt a strong foreboding, but he said nothing as they entered the cavern.

Inside the ground was covered with snow the walls glistened and even the ceilings were coated with white as if the dungeon were carved out of a giant mountain of snow and ice. They could hear the squeak of the ratmen guarding the entrance as they raised the alarm. Men had arrived. The ratmen swarmed the tunnel but were quickly quieted by blade and bolt.

“How far are we going?” Ari asked wiping his sword clean of dead rat.

“I need to get into the halls of the Ice Fiend. Once we get there I’ll tell you what I need you to do.” Malag stated. Ari only nodded as they made their way deeper into the dungeon. It was as if the creatures there knew somehow that doom had arrived. Frost spiders scattered away from them scurrying away as quickly as they could. Frost Trolls and Ogres lumbered away and those who scattered too slowly soon fell to their doom in the ice. Even the mighty Ice Wyrm only howled its objection as they passed by its lair. It did not take long for them to reach the back of the dungeon and the walls of the Ice Fiends lair.

As the snow gave way to blocks of stone and ice Malag felt the foreboding grow into hatred. He felt the anger inside him welling up with each step. He could hear the sound of his heart beating in his ears. He felt the strength of his pulse as the blood pounded in his ears. The pounding almost masked the sound of his boots against the stone. The sound of Ariakas battling an Ice Fiend melted into the distance as Malag slowly walked down the long hallway. Ari rushed to join him after the Fiend fell to the stone in a pool of blood. He thought to speak but then seeing his friend he said nothing, only followed as they passed through a large chamber and into another short hallway. Malag now was almost entranced by hatred, he felt it flowing through him he could tell his eyes were filled with blood rage as all around him was cast in red. Malag’s once pale violet eyes were now deep red with hate. He was now almost lost in thought as they reached the end of the hall. Malag reached up and began to feel the rocks of the wall. Ariakas stood quietly and watched as the wall swung open and revealed a hidden chamber beyond.

“Here.” Malag said as he dropped his pack on the floor. “Now I need to return to another time.” He reached into his pack and pulled out a pair of shackles and a wad of cloth. Ariakas watched as Malag shut the doors to the chamber and stripped off his robe and tunic. The scars that criss crossed the black skin of his back left pale shadows upon it. His upper torso had golden tattoos of ancient drow symbols which blazed in the light of Ari’s torch. Malag handed him the shackles and indicated the wall behind him. Ari though not wishing to comply shackled his friend to the wall.

“Take the vial from that bundle there and give it to me. After I have drank the liquid return outside and guard the door. No matter what you hear do not come back in here. Even if you hear me scream in agony do not open that door and do not let the Fiends in here. I know I ask quite a bit my friend you must trust me on this from here on I must go alone and I need you to protect me. Where I travel from here you can not follow.” Malag told him the hatred inside him now mixed with deep foreboding and a sense of dread. Echo’s of the past were slowly coming to life again.

Ariakas carefully opened the bundle of cloth and extracted a vial of white liquid. He turned to his friend now shackled to the wall and pulled out the stopper. A subtle wisp of smoke escaped the vial and vanished into the darkness. Ari carefully poured the liquid into Malag and then exited the chamber. The stone door scraped back closed with a hollow bang that seemed to draw the attention of every Fiend in range. The sound of claw and wing filled the halls as he heard one of the beasts approaching. That sound soon faded in the dark and was covered by a scream that sounded so tortured it shook the Knight to his very core. Ari could only glance back at the door and wonder what was happening beyond.

Malag let the hatred fill him as he swallowed the liquid and watched his friend leave him. As the doors shut the potion went to work heightening his madness. The memories of the past flooded back like a nightmare. Malag saw Indra before him once again. The Priestess of Lloth, Indra Tor’ahel Yathtallar d'lil Kult'ressinen d' Ra'Dashan, Enchantress of the Mistresses of the Gods, High Priestess of Lloth of the Rulers of The forgotten lands. She was the first daughter to Malyrrantar Tor’ahel of the First House of Ra’Dashan. He could hear her voice echo in the darkness.
“Don’t fight me Malag-aste. You know it would be better for you if you just give yourself over to me once again. You were mine once before you’ll be mine once again. Why do you resist me? This female elf that you seem so fond of, has she thawed your frozen heart? Why do you care for the surface elf? Do you no longer care for your own kind?” He could almost feel her there with him once again. Her touch as she had stood there once before, stroking his leg. His blood boiled now with rage as the memories continued to flood into him awakening his anger.

“Tell me Malag, what is your name? It is a simple question. Surely you can answer it for me.” He heard her words ring in his ears again and again. He could almost feel her breath in his ear. “Tell me Malag, what is your name?” He felt the sting of her hand as she slapped him. “Wrong. Try again.” Her voice echoed once again. “Keep refusing me Malag-aste. But remember I control you now. It is I who decide when you will feel pain or pleasure. It is I who decide when you feel hunger or sickness. And it is I who decides when you will suffer. But it is you who decides how long you will suffer.” The anger and hatred inside him was growing stronger. He could almost see the frost spiders there in the room with him once more. He could only scream.

“My name… My name is… Malag-aste…” he felt himself say the words building deep inside him. He felt once more the fangs of the frost spider as they punctured him again and again. Finally all went black. Visions shifted and he left the chamber in the dungeon of ice and returned to Ra’Dashann. Now he sat bound to the chair in his mothers teaching chamber. Books were scattered across the dark stone floor and shelves and shelves of them lined the walls. Beside his mother, Li’Neerbreena Hla-ate Valsharess Ilhar(Queen Mother), stood a creature Malag learned to hate more than any other. It had the body much like a drow but upon its shoulders was a hideously large head that had tentacles draped over its shoulders. Tentacles that flowed about curling and uncurling and in the midst of all of them a mouth open always and filled with rings of teeth. Not for eating flesh but for eating brain. The Illithid, a mindflayer, his mothers pet she called him Bal’kid. He absorbed the books and all that they held and he stored that knowledge in Malag’s mind. Hours and hours he spent in that chamber, with that hideous creature.

“Leave us.” Li’Neerbreena said to her pet. The creature shuffled out of the room. “It is time I prepared you for your future. To defend my home and to destroy all that stand in our way. I shall make you my General. But before I do I must know that you will not fall easily into the hands of my enemies. You will gather for me ingredients to make a potion. And you will learn to write it and I will teach its preparation to Xunroos. And then you will carry it with you at all times do you understand?” Her words echoed in the dark. “I shall not have my General weak to the Ply’uss potion of our enemies. You will build an immunity to its effects and to the flayers.”
“Yes Valsharess Ilhar. I shall do as you ask. Tell me what it is you require.” He replied. He remembered now as if this were yesterday not 400 years ago.

“Gather for me one thousand sulfuric ash ground from the bones of the Fire Steed, one hundred bloody bones from the Dark Guardians of Doom, twenty five perfect crusts off of the fire lizards of the abyss, the blood of thirty demons filling three hundred vials, a horn from a golden baulron, blood from the styngian dragon, and eight ancient pieces of deadwood from the grove near the miners town. Gather them and bring them to me.” She told him. He remembered now the writings of the spell and the ingredients. Now he had the key to what he needed.

Malag felt a wash of pain as his body woke from the nightmare and the potion wore off. The cold of his flesh against the frozen stone made his muscles weak. He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. “Rel Yelm Kal Ex” He uttered quietly. The door that Mystra had opened awakening the words of power and magic long buried within him he now used most reluctantly. The shackles that bound him changed to ice and he shattered them. Malag dropped to his knees from exhaustion. He placed his fingers upon a few of the symbols on his chest. “An Ort An Zu In Sanct Vas Wis” he whispered using his mothers voice. The symbols on his chest gave off a slight glow and the light coursed up through the veins in his neck to his mind. And with it he was able to dispell another seal to the great knowledge buried within him. Reaching across the small chamber Malag gathered his tunic and robe and put them on. Warmth returned to his body and helped him return some strength. He gathered his pack and reached in pulling out a vial of red liquid. He quickly unstoppered it and drank it down. The potion of refreshment went to work almost immediately. Feeling better he slung his pack back onto his back and opened the door.

Malag smiled at his friend now standing almost waist deep in the bodies of at least a dozen Ice Fiends which now littered the hall.

“Nice work my friend.” He said with a smile.

“Thanks, did you get what you needed?” Ariakas asked.

“I did indeed. What do you say we leave this place?” Malag asked with a grin.
“Already? I was just getting warmed up.” Ari said with a chuckle. “I think they were starting to tire of me anyway.”

The two friends made their way back home. Malag went straight to his office and began writing out what he remembered lest he forget again.