Descent into the Depths of the Earth by Undead), Paul Kidd - (ebook by Flandrel Page B

shattered on the shield thrown up by the man’s
magic ring. Cinders hissed, Jus jerked his head around, and the hell hound’s red
eyes focused on an invisible shape lurking behind a tree.
    There!
    Escalla threw up a hand and shoved a single spell toward the
hidden faerie. A reeking cloud enveloped the culprit, sending him reeling and
retching off into the bushes. Escalla watched the faerie go, unshipped her ice
wand, and noisily pumped the activation slide. “What did I tell you about my
friends? Try it again, and I’ll get nasty!”
    Grinning happily, Cinders wagged his tail. Burn!
    “Not yet!” Escalla looked at the stepping stones. “Cinders,
some of the stepping stones are illusions. Just keep your eyes open.”
    Looking bored with it all, Tielle hovered over the surface of
the lake and said, “None of them are illusions. We have better things to do with
our time.”
    “Good. Then let the Justicar carry you and hold you tight.”
    Tielle looked annoyed. She made a pass with her hand, and
half of the stepping stones disappeared, leaving only blank water in their
place. Escalla flew out to lead the way, hovering protectively close to the
Justicar.
    “Polk, come on. Follow me.”
    “Why yes. What a lovely suggestion!” Polk beamed vacuously,
his voice vapid and formal. “May I just say how pert you look today?”
    “Polk, spell or no spell, nobody ever uses pert in
normal conversation, all right?”
    Jus jumped and strode awkwardly from stepping stone to
stepping stone, his heavy bulk strangely graceful, his armor and sword quiet
through long habit of stealth. Polk bumbled along in his wake, leaving his mule
staring forlornly after them. Escalla flew along in silence, flanked by a dozen
faeries and refusing to so much as even glance at her sister.
    In the deep waters of the lake fish swam—giant cuttlefish and
little stingrays, all faeries shapeshifted into animal form. In the trees
overhead, animals watched the travelers, each creature showing intelligent
faerie eyes. Watched from a dozen directions, Jus, Polk, and Escalla made their
way across the lake toward a giant garden that glimmered with bright flowers.
    At the shore stood a circular grove of gnarled, ancient fruit
trees. Escalla jerked her thumb at the fruit trees as Jus passed them by.
    “Plane trees.”
    The Justicar turned. “Plain trees?”
    “No, plane trees—like a tree of the various planes of
existence.” Escalla shrugged. “That grove leads off to other planes—primal
energy, negative energy, fire, water, that sort of thing. You need a key taken
from the plane you’re heading to—amazingly useless.”
    The garden made a ring of light about a faerie palace, an
airy thing all made from pearl-gray wood. A long path led toward the palace
doors. Beside the path, a lawn hosted a dainty party attended by a dozen faerie
folk. The faeries mingled, gossiped, and intrigued. Fawn and satyr servitors
poured drinks, while animated plants played music upon lutes. A bevy of female
orcs knelt servilely about a faerie lord who was wreathed in fiery robes. All
conversation stopped, and all eyes turned as Escalla marched out from the trees.
    A faun approached and bowed, ushering Escalla along the path.
Escalla waited for Jus and Polk, keeping them at her side. Surrounded by guards
and stared at by faeries and servants alike, the three companions walked slowly
through the party and headed for the palace doors.
    The silence was nerve wracking and irritating. Whirling,
Escalla turned to face her peers.
    “Yes, it’s me! I’m back! You all seen enough? And you? And
you?” The girl pivoted in mid air, tugging her skirt tight.
    Escalla sped forward in anger, shoving past two beautifully
liveried centaurs and throwing open the palace doors. A vast hall stretched
before her, a place of moving murals and carpets that shifted shape and form. A
hundred faeries lined the way, most of them dressed in brilliant, alien finery.
There