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As the last of the party entered the
chamber, the doors swung closed with a deafening bang. A great winged
demon grinned down at the pathetic band of adventurers. “Clever little
ones,” it rumbled. “Found my prison. Now hear the penalty.”
“Choose one to appease my appetite and the rest of you may leave. Or choose a champion to fight me. If that champion defeats me, then all live. If not, then I go free. Those are the conditions of my imprisonment.”
The party glanced at one another uneasily. None of them could fight this creature and they all knew it. Youth and ingenuity they possessed; experience and lore they had not yet had time to accumulate.
Sarina and Kimberly, the warrior twins, did not fear death, but rather the prospect of living without the other. Mercedes and Lingst, mage and mage/thief newly wed, felt much the same way. Derek looked among them, and realized that this must be his own test of faith. “Very well, demon, “ he began.
“It should be me,” Mercedes interrupted decisively. “I solved the puzzle that opened this door, I should be the sacrifice.”
“NO!” cried Lingst. “I’ll can’t let you do that!”
The demon growled. “I grow impatient–”
“Stay out of this,” commanded the mage, eyes flashing. The demon, taken aback by her audacity, actually fell silent. Turning to her husband, Mercedes said, “It’s my decision.”
“Not if I volunteer first!” he rejoined. The demon observed the argument as one might a tennis match as the couple became more animated, voices raised and arms gesticulating wildly.
“You can’t volunteer first, I already did!”
“No, I volunteer!”
“I do!”
Lingst whirled to face the towering monstrosity, arm outstretched, and cast the only spell he knew. “SLEEP!”
A deep gravelly chuckle came from the creature. Slowly the chuckle grew into a throaty laugh. Soon the demon’s belly began to shake, and before long the chamber rang with its uproarious roars and snorts of glee.
Suddenly the laughter stopped, and a puzzled expression crossed the demon’s ugly features. Its face changed color from bright red, to deep purple. It started to convulse.
The demon was choking on its own phlegm.
Everyone backed away as far as the walls would allow as the giant winged thing thrashed across the floor, fighting for air. Finally all movement ceased.
Sunlight poured in as the doors of the arcane prison opened.
“Choose one to appease my appetite and the rest of you may leave. Or choose a champion to fight me. If that champion defeats me, then all live. If not, then I go free. Those are the conditions of my imprisonment.”
The party glanced at one another uneasily. None of them could fight this creature and they all knew it. Youth and ingenuity they possessed; experience and lore they had not yet had time to accumulate.
Sarina and Kimberly, the warrior twins, did not fear death, but rather the prospect of living without the other. Mercedes and Lingst, mage and mage/thief newly wed, felt much the same way. Derek looked among them, and realized that this must be his own test of faith. “Very well, demon, “ he began.
“It should be me,” Mercedes interrupted decisively. “I solved the puzzle that opened this door, I should be the sacrifice.”
“NO!” cried Lingst. “I’ll can’t let you do that!”
The demon growled. “I grow impatient–”
“Stay out of this,” commanded the mage, eyes flashing. The demon, taken aback by her audacity, actually fell silent. Turning to her husband, Mercedes said, “It’s my decision.”
“Not if I volunteer first!” he rejoined. The demon observed the argument as one might a tennis match as the couple became more animated, voices raised and arms gesticulating wildly.
“You can’t volunteer first, I already did!”
“No, I volunteer!”
“I do!”
Lingst whirled to face the towering monstrosity, arm outstretched, and cast the only spell he knew. “SLEEP!”
A deep gravelly chuckle came from the creature. Slowly the chuckle grew into a throaty laugh. Soon the demon’s belly began to shake, and before long the chamber rang with its uproarious roars and snorts of glee.
Suddenly the laughter stopped, and a puzzled expression crossed the demon’s ugly features. Its face changed color from bright red, to deep purple. It started to convulse.
The demon was choking on its own phlegm.
Everyone backed away as far as the walls would allow as the giant winged thing thrashed across the floor, fighting for air. Finally all movement ceased.
Sunlight poured in as the doors of the arcane prison opened.
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