Ch. 3, Page 23

It was true, there was a definite chill in the air that was not there a moment ago, but it was clear to no one how this portended any threat to them. After everyone looked at each other, it became clear to Terik that everyone still expected him to go through with approaching the trapped pedestal.

Terik knew, as he stepped forward, that it was all his fault that people took advantage of him. With a bossy cousin like Robilar in the family, it just became easier for Terik to be the easygoing cousin. He should turn around and tell them that he was not going to be pushed around like this anymore. He could just point to one of the others and say, "You do this, not me!"  He could take command and boss them around, not the other way around!

But, on the other hand, that seemed like a lot more work than just checking to see if the magical traps were deactivated. Sighing inwardly, Terik reached forward...

Ch. 3, Page 22

It did not take long for the adventurers to find all three spots that detected for magic around the room and, at each, they found a concealed gem. The others were a red sapphire and a blue emerald. Then everyone looked to Murlynd for some explanation.

Ch. 3, Page 21

Murlynd waved his metal wand through the air while saying its magic command words. When he was done, he carefully scanned the room while slowly lowering his wand.

Behind him, Yrag and Serten kept Tenser sitting up on the floor, instead of letting him stand, out of concern for how much damage he seemed to be taking.

"I'm fine, really," Tenser said.  And it was mostly true.

"If the spell was an illusion, can we just disbelieve in it and push through?" Yrag asked.

"Intellectually, I share your suspicion it was just an illusion," Tenser said, "but the pain was awfully convincing. I fell back right away when I felt it; I can't imagine how painful prolonged contact would be."

"We could just leave it alone," Yrag suggested.

"No. I want that wand."

"We could try to dispel it with magic," Serten offered.

"It's more complicated than that..." Murlynd said, having been listening to them, even though he had not appeared to be.

Ch. 3, page 20

By Tenser's light spell, he could see a relatively small room ahead. Spaced along the walls were embedded pillars that seemed structurally important, since they were not fancy enough to look ornamental. At the center of the room was a small stone pedestal on which rested, what appeared to be, an ordinary stick of wood.

"Could that be a wand...?" Tenser mused quietly out loud to himself. He moved slowly into the room, eyeing the wooden stick now hungrily.

"Wait."  Yrag spoke from a step behind Tenser, forcefully, without being loud. "Don't go rushing ahead again. Don't you think this room might be trapped? We should wait for the others."

Tenser glanced back and saw Serten dropping to the floor of the pit, their rope in his hands. "I have two of you watching my back now, and I only want a closer look." So, ignoring Yrag's warning, Tenser moved closer.

Ch. 3, page 19

For a painfully long second, Tenser was terrified that he had activated another trap -- perhaps the floor would drop away and he would fall into an even deeper pit, or scythe blades would whirl out of the wall, or maybe the pit would fill with magical fire. Such were the dangers of castle dungeon exploration.

But no trap was sprung. Instead, a section of wall moved just slightly, revealing the outline of a door. Secret doors were as common a feature in castle dungeon exploration as traps, to Tenser's experience, but how to open it? Another hidden panel to press? He needed more hands down here.

"Is anyone coming down?" Tenser said, looking up to the top of the pit.

He had no need to worry on that score, for Yrag already had rope in hand and was starting to lower himself down.

Ch. 3, Page 18

Yrag hesitated only a moment and then fired another arrow into the burning mass of fungus at the bottom of the pit. The fungal branches no longer writhed or wriggled, and appeared as black as charcoal now instead of bright violet.

A minute later, the fire was dying down, with nothing left to burn.

"I should go back down," Tenser said.  He looked around at the incredulous stares of his teammates, who had just rescued him from down there.  "You remember that pit trap on the fourth level with the secret door at the bottom?  What if this is like that? I have a hunch that fungal monster was 'cultivated' down there to guard something."

"I remember teaching you things like that," Yrag said thoughtfully.  "All right...maybe we should take a look -- but I do think it should be me or Terik going down there."

Tenser, however, only grew even more resolute on the matter. When the fire was all the way gone and the pit below must be cooling, Tenser spoke with conviction.

Ch. 3, Page 17

Serten sang in a quiet falsetto.  He closed his eyes and held out his hands, which seemed to glow with a white radiance that shone out from under his gauntlets. Serten placed his open palm on Tenser's exposed skin and, with a flash, the white radiance passed from one body to the other. When this had no visible effect, Serten began to sing a new incantation to his god, Pholtus.  This time there was an immediate improvement; everywhere the white radiance spread a burning rash disappeared.

"Your god is as merciful as ever," Tenser said with much relief.

"You all say that when you need healing," Serten said with a grin, "but where are you on Godsday services...?"

Murlynd was by Yrag's side, with both of them keeping an eye on the things in the pit.  "I have something that I think will help with this," Murlynd said.  "I have acquired this substance called Greek Fire.  I have not yet learned what or who this 'Greek' is yet..." he said as he produced a beaker of dark liquid from out of his magic sack.