Space Wizards

4. The Lich's Dagger

"Ok," she said, "I understand. Let's go to the last room." 

Melock checked the smaller bodies on the ground next to Kulju's corpse. They had no magical clones stashed somewhere to escape death with. Melock grabbed their spellbook and dropped it in his pack. Then he found a jar of black liquid. 

"It's a shame about these two. Mountain dwarves are generally pleasant companions. I wouldn't have stuck them if I knew the darts were poisoned. I suspect this is some dangerous stuff." 

He held the black jar up to the light of a brazier and it did nothing to change the opacity of the liquid within. Making sure the cap was on tight, he tossed it into his pack. 

Melock and Murphy passed through another diamond doorway and down a series of staircases that narrowed and switched back and forth following the reverse pyramid shape of the lower half of the tomb. The stairs ended at a large gilded mirror that covered the entire passageway. As they approached a living image of a humanoid horned lizard in priestly robes appeared in the mirror. 

"Salniz s-solgar Varan Lapis-s," said the lizard reflection. 

"Do you understand its language?" asked Murphy. 

"I get the gist," said Melock. 

The lizard went on in its hiss-filled speech.

"She wants to see our copy of the instructions and our potion of sacrifice for the lake. We'll use Kulju's."

Melock pulled out the spellbook and the jar of black liquid. 

"Is this the Lich? I thought she was dead?" Murphy stood defensively brandishing her hammer. 

"It's a hologram, a false projection of her. It could be a trap but more likely a kind of gatekeeper. She said something about only the most scholarly may enter." 

He opened the spellbook to the pages with the copied instructions and held it up to the mirror. The writing on the pages took on an eerie black glow. The corners of the lizard's mouth turned upward in a close approximation of a smile. Melock held out the jar and the lizard let out a laugh. 

"Salniz nas-sgar is-slamominto vaganti." 

"She either said welcome to the lake of souls or she accepts our souls into the lake. Not sure which?"

"There's a big difference," said Murphy

The image on the mirror faded along with the surface of the mirror. It became a doorway, beyond which was a massive room filled with dark water. At the center was another crystal pyramid omitting a soft greenish light. It was the only light source other than the glow of Murphy's hammer. Green and silver light reflected off the still water and gave the room a creepy atmosphere. The silence of being so deep in the earth felt like being buried alive.

"The dagger," said Melock, "do you see it?

She nodded her bucket.

Atop the greenish crystal triangle stood a long golden dagger or maybe a thin short sword. Melock stepped through the mirror onto a jutting pier at the water's edge. Murphy followed. Behind them, the mirror image returned and the lizard continued to speak. 

"She says to pour the potion in." 

Melock looked at the spellbook, glancing over the instructions that now seemed to be moving as if the writing were a mist of smoke. Melock tore out the pages, crumpled them into a ball, stuffed them into his mouth, and began to chew. 

"The dagger is a gift to the next lich, the lake is vile evil poison, to become a lich you must die. We're only gonna get one chance at this." 

"What!?" said Murphy. 

"Stay here. Whatever you do, don't touch the water and if I don't make it back, break the mirror and go out the way we came it." 

The lizard image began to laugh a contagious giggle. Melock suppressed a snort. Under her helmet, Muprhy was smiling. She felt giddy, stupid, slap-happy like she was being tickled on the inside. She tried not to laugh. 

Melock undid the cap of the jar and dumped the goopy thick contents into the lake. The water began to bubble and a wave of ripples traveled out the four sides of the inverted pyramid. Melock dropped the whole jar in and vanished. The lizard's giggle turned into a crazed full-body laugh. Murphy found herself chuckling hysterically in a fit of uncontrollable laughter. 

Tears ran down her cheeks and she was gripped with fear. She stood there laughing with the image of the Lich. The lake continued to bubble and almost seemed to boil. Melock appeared on the island, walking around the dagger slowly and examining the pyramid it stood upon. 

A black tarry bubble formed at the edge of the pier. It popped and a blob of oily water flew at Murphy. She instinctively turned her head and heard it splat against the side of her helmet. A horrible stench of corrosive acid fumed into her helm and she tore it off her head. She held it in her hand a second and watched the water eat through the metal. It dripped onto her left shoulder pad as well as her arm and leg plates. They began to smoke and sizzle. 

She dropped the bucket helmet into the lake, pulled the shoulder armor off over her head, and frantically pulled off her leg and arm plates. The pier began to retract into the wall and the Lich folded her arms and gave Murphy a malicious stare. 

"Melock! We have to go! NOW!" 

Melock looked across the lake to see a half-undressed Sister Murphy crack her hammer into the glass. The mirror shattered, the Lich vanished, and the lake boiled and rose. Murphy stepped through to the stairs as the pier retracted completely and her tattered armor fell into the turbulent mire.

"Come on!" she screamed. 

Melock grabbed the dagger and vanished. Murphy stepped up the stairs as the inky water bubbled up after her. She backed up ten steps and the water level reached the top of the mirror entrance. It wasn't stopping. 

"Melock!!!" 

She turned and ran three steps at a time to keep ahead of the rising tide. When she reached to next level the water was right behind her. Kulju and the dwarves were standing in the middle of the room. The little men were still as green and dead as before, yet their corpses were animated with life. Kulju was the picture of death incarnate. 

Murphy gripped her war hammer and her hands began to sting. She tore off her gloves and dropped the hammer. Its wooden handle melted. She picked up the block end and chucked it at Kulju, hitting him square in the face. He continued to stand there with a broken neck and a sideways head. 

The waters came rushing out of the stairwell. She ran. The three zombies turned to pursue her but melted and fell with gurgling moans. She made it across the room to the next stairs where she removed her sizzling boots. She looked across the hall and watched the bubbling ooze extinguish the glowing light of Lord John. The brazier stands were quickly covered and their light snuffed out. She ran up pitch-black stairs as fast as her legs would carry her. 

She saw the light of the next level and when she got there, four brutally smashed guards were waiting for her. She undid the last of her armor and threw it across the room. The distracted reanimated soldiers slowly looked at the clanking metal and she made a break for it. She ran wide ducking under the blade of a clumsy swing and sprinted for the next staircase.

She could see to the landing and beyond that, darkness. As she turned the first corner, groans from below echoed and the passage went completely black. She was barefoot now and felt her way, stumbling and stubbing fingers and toes up flight after flight until the stairs ended. 

Holding her hand in front of her face, she saw nothing. Her pupils dilated to their fullest but did nothing to help in the absence of light. The next room was the trap room. There were bodies and triggers all over the floor and no way to navigate it in the dark. She stopped and bit her nail. 

"I'll never make it." 

Her voice momentarily overtook the sound of liquid moving up. She fell to her knees and prayed. She called upon the gods of light, the god of water, the lords of earth and sky, the god of war, of death, and of life. She cried out to the nameless energy of the universe. 

Could none hear her in her watery grave?