Getting the heck out of dodge

I found it amidst the rubble. A large rock had rolled over it, but it remained undamaged. I picked it up and dusted it off. This was one tough little journal. I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse that I can't seem to lose this thing.

Ah, who am I kidding. No one's forcing me to write in this thing.

The sunrise this morning glowed over the remains of the temple. The inner levels have collapsed on one another and the upper level, the grotesque structure of debauchery and all those evil big words is gone forever. All because we managed to destroy the skull.

Yeah, now that's a story.

We are on our way to Mitrik, the capital of Veluna, along with Prince Thrommel. Apparently, we're heroes. When we make camp we tell stories to Thrommel and his troops about our adventures in the moathouse and in the temple. From time to time they tell us tales about abandoned tombs in the Vast Swamp and a strange dungeon in the Barrier Peaks, and then ask if we'll every journey their some time.

Sure. It's on my to-do list.

(Side note: I believe our favorite paladin, Audry, is quite taken with our Prince Thrommel--must be because he's royalty.)

Saul and Anna do most of the talking. Marc and Audry try to keep the hyperbole to a minimum. I refer to my journal from time to time for reference, and I realize there are things that happened to us that I neglected to tell.

The first story would be, where did I get this journal? To be specific, I found it in the moathouse. Apparently, it was once used for communication with higher ups in the organization as a whole--an organization we still know very little about. How do I know this? Well, Hedrick told me while he tortured me. Undone by villainous exposition, as it were. Actually, he was undone by a rather long blade that I happened to be holding.

Yeah, that's a tale I have to tell one day as well.

Right now, the most obvious would be how did we escape the nodes? So I'll start there. I've got the time. It's a long way to Mitrik.

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It took us half a day to get to a node exit even though it was only a quarter of a mile away. All along the way we met up with every water-born monster you can think of. It was like the entire node rose up against us to fight us.

"Maybe we got something they want," Anna said.

"Like what?" Saul said. "They're just animals."

I looked at the skull in my hand. It whispered to me as I held it. While I slept it showed me what it could accomplish. It showed me armies falling before me as I commanded powers normally reserved for gods. It shared with me secrets of only a few of its powers. Much more I can do, it said. It then showed me scenes of men being put to the sword and women being brutally raped (as if there's any other kind of rape). It showed me images of children being submitted to the same tortures, and the survivors being enslaved. It was then I realized I was seeing the past. The skull had been witness to these events.

I didn't get a lot of sleep.

We got stuck on the large plateau in the center of the node. Monsters which made dinosaurs seem like puppies circled us. A snake-like neck would crane up out of the water periodically. A quick swipe with my sword sent it back down with its buddies. It could probably come out on to the plateau with us, but it would be out of its element. It didn't matter, though. There were maybe half a dozen of those Lochness monster things, controlled by a couple of dozen of those evil, intelligent, sting rays that stayed out of the way. I'd bet every gold piece and gem we found that they were responsible for this. They'd been trying to get at us for a while. No telling how long their priests or wizards spent trying to get a hold of these things. No doubt they could have gotten worse. They had access to the whole elemental plane of water.

Anna and Saul proceeded to patch our boat as best as they could. Marc, Audry, and I stared at the water. Stalemate. They couldn't get us without getting seriously hurt, and we couldn't leave. We needed some serious help.

I can help.

"Shut up," I told it.

"What?" Marc said.

"Nothing," I said. "Not you."

"Then who?" Audry asked. She gestured at the skull. "It speaks to you, doesn't it?"

I nodded.

"It must be destroyed," Audry said. "I can feel its evil from here."

"You should try it while in my shoes," I said. "It's like an oily residue flowing between your ears. It wants to infect me with its power."

"We'll get rid of it," Marc said. "But first we need it to get out of here. Are you sure that will take us out of the nodes?"

"Yes," I said. "It's made that much clear to me."

"We got her fixed," Saul said. He and Anna stood, brushing themselves off. "It's ugly, but it should get us to the teleportation rune."

"We gotta fry these fish somehow first," Anna said. "Marc?"

"I do not have enough spells to finish off all of them," he said. "I can hurt them, but it will only irritate them."

I stared at the skull. I had an idea.

Stay here and die fool, if you wish.

I wanted to hurl it into the water.

You can do that as well. I will be found. It may be a hundred years, but I will be found. You will not.

"I said--"

You wish to leave, it asked me again, then use me!

I sheathed my sword. I imagined a sudden surge of dissatisfaction from the sword as I grasped the skull. I held the skull forth and I called on the skull's power.

Are you sure? You seem so reluctant.

"Shut up and work, will you?"

It seemed to grin at me. Of course, it's a skull so it's always grinning.

Over the water, the air glowed. A ring of fire formed over the water. It grew wider and wider as the fire grew more intense. I could feel its heat from the plateau.

"Gods," Marc said. "Is that--"

"Yes!" Audry said. "John, are you mad?"

"Better than being dead," I said.

I made the circle face the water. I could control it with my mind as easily as I could walk. The creatures gathered under it, curious as to what had happened. In the distance, the rays flapped in the water erratically. They knew what this was, and evidently they didn't have much control over their summoned creatures.

The flaming circle took shape at last, and the gate open. The good news was the gate was one way. That bad news was that it opened up into the node, straight from the Abyss itself. I knew this because the skull knew this, and I told it to summon something big and nasty.

The creature fell unceremoniously through the opening--not exactly the way you want to bring a demon into the world when you want it to do you favors. It made a satisfying splash, sending the surrounding monsters scattering.

The creature rose from the water. The deep sea of the water node only came up to its waist. I had no idea what I was summoning, other than that this was one of the most powerful creatures that could be summoned by this skull. Its unnaturally thick muscles rippled as its two largest arms rose into the air. It snapped the pincers at the ends of those arms rhythmically. The sound was like a shotgun blast. The two smaller arms rubbed their clawed hands together with glee.

"Ah," it said. Its voice was like a monstrous Barry White. "Mortals. Typical." It took a step toward us. I stared at the skull. It purred inside my head.

Time for some fun.

Before I could swear at it the demon spoke once more. "Who is responsible for my summons?"

For a few seconds nothing happened. The serpents in the water swam nervously around the demon, glancing occasionally at the rays some distance away. They sat on top of the water, flapping their giant fins like some sort of aquatic bat.

"Well?" it said once more.

"Oh man," Anna said. She looked at the rays. "Are you guys crazy? You can't summon a demon!"

The rays stopped swimming. I could feel their little black eyes from here.

"That's really old, Anna," Saul whispered. "It won't--"

The demon laughed. The sound carried like a sonic boom. "Fish?" It turned to the rays. "I have been summoned by cursed fish?" It walked through the water as if it weren't there. It walked toward the rays.

"You were saying?" Anna said.

"Indeed," Marc said. "Though I must admit some surprise at this outcome."

I have an influence over such things, the golden skull said, its voice snaking through my mind. I have influence over many things. I could feel its amusement. You will learn.

The air erupted in spells. The rays priests and mages hurled spells at the demon. The serpents attacked it. The demon only laughed as it unleashed its unholy spells on them.

"Might I suggest we vacate before it finishes them off," Marc said.

"Yeah," Saul said. "We better hurry, too. That thing's already making short work of those rays."

We carried the ramshackle boat down to the water for its last voyage. It settled in the water and we piled in. The waves carried us away from the plateau and into the node sea. We rowed toward the next teleportation rune. In the distance the rays and serpents died silent deaths.

We said nothing until we reached the rune.

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Saul wants me to join them by the fire. In addition to tales of our adventures in the elemental temple, they love hearing tales of Earth. I already know what Prince Thrommel will say.

"Tell us more of this Wyatt Earp."