Carlo and Brenda worked their way from room to room along the right side of the hallway while Roreed and Eluth worked the left side, systematically killing everyone they found. At the end of the hallway was the artillery room, a huge room set up for the sole purpose of testing new weapons. The bulk of the crossbowmen, Victoria and Dame Larel were already down there in a shooting war with the artillery scientists.

One chamber however was not your usual room, it was a brothel, for every person in there was either a prostitute or a customer and they were all naked. Brenda backed out of the room and turned to Carlo with a grin. "It's a damn whore house! What say we...?"

Carlo would have smiled if Brenda wasn't soaked in blood from killing half a dozen people already. "They need us down in the artillery room. We don't have the time to wash all that blood off and pretend."

"True," she nodded and entered without hesitation, killing everyone in her professional fashion. Carlo didn't need to help, these people weren't fighters, they were scientists. The only resistance she got was from a couple brave whores.

There was an explosion down in the artillery range and Carlo turned to leave. His belt snagged on something and he turned see Brenda pulling him towards the room. "Please Carlo? We haven't made love since we went down in the well for some privacy!" she said, ripping her bloody shirt off and discarding it. "Make love to me?"

Carlo knew that he had to discuss this with her, but this was extremely poor timing. "They need us down in the artillery room," he argued. She frowned. "But the sooner that's done, the sooner we can leave, the sooner we can make love."

Her face brightened and raced down the hallway. "Hurry up, slow poke!"

Victoria was cornered and she knew it was just a matter of time before they managed to correct the aim on that cannon and blast her all the way to the heavenly gates. She took a poisoned arrow from her quiver and nocked it. She could see one of the artillery scientists easily. Stupid man was standing right out in the open, it's just that he was so very far away. She needed to get closer in order to get an accurate shot. She was trapped at the far end of the huge two hundred yard room with giant targets as her only shelter. If she came out from behind the targets, she was dead, if she tried running to a closer target, they would know where she was and shoot. Already several targets lay shattered into burning piles of splinters from being blown apart by the artillery at the other end of the room. She had to move though, because they would eventually shoot the target she was hiding behind. Once they fixed the aim on the cannons of course.

"Gott in himmel!" swore a Stornium voice, probably Carlo. That was all the distraction she needed and ran around the corner of the target just a second or two before it exploded, showering burning splinters around the room. She ran as hard as she could, not running for the target's but straight for the line of artillery. Once she got there, it'd be all over.

She knew Dame Larel was right behind her because she could hear the knight's heavy armour jingling and her distinctive muttering as she reloaded her crossbow and fired again. "Aim at the cannons themselves," shouted Victoria, shooting the fellow that was standing in plain sight and nocking another arrow. "Maybe we can disable them or something."

Larel didn't reply and shot the pile of lead cannon balls on the rack beside the cannons themselves. She had already tried shooting the cannons and knew that a crossbow bolt wouldn't put so much as a dent in it. The rack toppled over easily and landed on the man hiding behind it. "I'll bet that hurt," she said, tossing the crossbow aside and drawing her sword.

Victoria nodded, shot another scientist and threw her bow aside. Swords would be more effective now that they were close enough. That one minotaur might be a problem though but she didn't finish the thought. Brenda had already snapped the minotaur's neck.

She ran past a scientist lurking behind a cannon with a dagger. He jumped forward and caught her in the side with the dull blade. The archeress spun around, remembering that she was indeed with child and chopped the man's head off. The blade had been poisoned...

She could already feel a numbness crawling up her side and knew with dread that the poison was spreading. "Derick!" she shouted, seeing the young apprentice doctor not far away. Surely Derick could help her.

Derick was not the best of fighters, but he was adequate with a mace. There was several reasons he used a mace, chief amongst them, less blood. He had never liked seeing blood. But he hated to see Victoria laying on her side shouting his name with a dagger in her side. Especially when he knew she was with child.

He never saw the scientists that got in his way as he ran wildly towards the woman that was one of his best friends, despite the way she ate so much fattening foods. Yet she still kept her figure which was surprising with the way she ate. Those men that did get in his way were thrust out of the way with a heavy blow to the head from his mace. By the time he reached her he was showered with blood and a fair bit of mushed brains.

He quickly gave her an injection of a vaccine in the wound and a smaller one in her shoulder in case any of the poison should reach her heart. "You'll be okay, Victoria. We have to get you out of here. You're going to become a burden before long. The vaccine will make you drowsy, you see?"

"Sure, help me to my feet?"

Derick nodded and looped an arm around her back and helped her to stand. "Carlo," he shouted to the Stornium. "Help me get Victoria into the hallway!" he yelled.

The knight nodded, sheathed his sword and ran over. He looped an arm around her back, another under her legs and lifted her off the ground easily. "Keep fighting, I'll look after her," he shouted, running across the huge room to the hallway.

There were five minotaurs standing in the hallway which didn't make sense since all the minotaurs were on the chemistry level with Mathex. These were poachers. He laid the archeress on the floor and drew his sword. Taking a deep breath, he shouted, "Brenda, I could use some help right now!"

The killer was busy however. He knew she was. How he was going to take on all five at the same time was beyond Carlo, but he was going to have to try. The minotaurs came forward grinning at him. He had to try.

A Stornium star flew by his shoulder and stabbed into one of the minotaurs. It was obviously poisoned for he doubled over in agony. Four to one. He risked a glance back at Victoria. She pointed at her belt weakly where she had six stars. She threw another and missed.

"You keep them busy, I'll finish them off." She smiled weakly.

Carlo nodded and charged into the minotaurs ranks, hacking at them wildly, keeping his distance so that they couldn't overcome him. He took a chop in the back of his leg, but ignored it and stabbed the minotaur in the stomach. Three to one. A second blade came into view, aimed at his head, he brought his blade up to parry and received a kick in the stomach that sent him sprawling into the wall.

Another star hit one of the minotaurs. Two to one. The last minotaur slapped Carlo's sword away and punched him hard in the cheek. He fell back, hitting his head against the wall.

The minotaur went flying down the hallway. It scrambled up to see a very angry young woman covered in blood. She kicked him in the face and he fell to the floor again. She kicked him in the side and he rolled with the blow. Suddenly two knees like a clamp came down and pinned him in place. Fingers laced themselves under his chin in a fashion he'd seen before back in the Minotaur Empire. Fear flew through him with the knowledge that he was going to die. She jerked her hands upwards and snapped his neck easily.

"Thanks," groaned Carlo, getting to his feet. He wobbled dangerously and retrieved his sword. With a groan he lent his arm to Victoria and helped her to stand. Together they limped down the hallway, leaning on each other for support and following Brenda.

Sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. Barrels of them. This place is as bad as a black dust keg, thought Mathex. But there were other things and he knew it. Much more dangerous things. That oxy-acetylene tank for instance. That thing falls over and the whole place would blow up with just alone. But add barrels of bases and acids? Kaboom!

There were very little people on this level which was something he found disturbing. Those people that were here were leaving. Almost like they knew something Mathex didn't. But what could it be? Unless they had anticipated us? Could they have rigged a trap, an explosion perhaps? Poisonness gases? His fears started to get the best of him, but then he saw a rack filled with blueprints.

He scrambled across the room, being careful not to knock the acetylene tank over. He took several pieces of parchment off the rack and looked over them. A steam powered engine, an electric magnet system titled telegram, something titled Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation... Whatever that is? Mathex shoved them in his pouch and grabbed some more, opening them poring over them quickly.

A map of the chemistry level. Mathex was in the number three archives and store room. The room next to this is a wind tunnel room. There was however something that didn't make sense. It was labeled falle. Mathex didn't know enough old Stornium to know that meant trap. But he didn't like the small skull sketched below the word. He grabbed the remaining scrolls and fled. "Fall back! Retreat!" he shouted. "There's a trap!"

Kerry had searched the prisoner level with Adrienne, Sir Dillard and about a hundred other knights. No sign what-so-ever of Kelly, Pothax or Dillard's friend Rades. In fact the prisoners level was empty, completely and utterly empty. Kerry was certain Kelly was here somewhere and wanted to check every room over again.

Dillard shook his head and sighed. "There is nobody here! Not even guards! They must be down in the pit!" he insisted. "We have to go down there anyway and free the slaves!"

Adrienne was in no mood to argue, she had vomited up her breakfast in the dung shaft and was not going in there again. She headed for the stairway leading down to the sub-level where the slave guards stayed. The knights started to follow her.

"Stop!" shouted Kerry. "I order you to check these rooms again!"

The knights looked at her pleadingly. "She's not here, Princess," replied one of the knights. "She's not in the torture rooms and that's the only other rooms we were assigned to. We have to check the slaves."

Kerry crossed her arms dangerously. "I'm waiting."

"Since we are not in Kinian anymore, your authority isn't totally there. And as a Arthian," said Dillard, "I feel it is my right to tell you that you're acting spoiled rotten. Much like Queen Elexenia."

That hurt! Elexenia was so spoiled she acted like a spoiled, six year old. She was obnoxious, threw temper tantrums and constantly pouted when she didn't get her own way. Kerry had always prided herself on being a leader, independent, a perfect warrior, but for someone to say she was like Queen Elex... "Fine then! I'll check them myself!" she shouted angrily and stormed away.

"Let her be," Dillard ordered. "We have to find the other Princess. She'll be okay up here." The knights nodded and followed him down the stairs.

A thunder crack sounded and Dillard wondered what Mathex was doing. Then he realized the sound had come from below.

Rades was the first slave over the edge of the pit. He was also the first to be pushed back down, taking several other climbers with him as he fell. Others made it over the edge however and went into a berserking rage. Grumbling in old Stornium he started up again.

There was a thunder shot and Rades looked up to see one of the berserking slaves fall back into the pit. He leveled his own pistol and shot the offending guard. He lost his foot hold and fell back down. Reloading the pistol he saw someone else preparing to fire a rifle. Rades quickly aimed and shot the man in the back. He placed the weapon in his belt and started up the side of the pit again.

This time when he reached the top he drew his sword and stabbed the fist guard that came his way. It felt good to have something to fight with again. Not just his fists and feet. He grabbed the man's sword and tossed it down the pit to the other slaves who would need weapons.

A hefty-looking man with a shaggy beard bowled through the guards and grabbed Rades by the shirt. Henri-Aindreas. "What happened to you?" Rades asked, struggling to hide his fear. "Did she dump you too?"

"Little bitch went for some new cutthroat fellow," he roared and slapped Rades across the face. The Lieutenant responded by giving the man a slice upwards between the legs.

He dropped Rades and suddenly the Stornium knew how Wynic Doxon felt being thrown off Kobalix's Citadel. The wind rushed by him and the ground rose up to greet him with large jagged teeth. Or would have if Rades' collar hadn't snagged on something.

"Rades?"

The Lieutenant tried to turn to see who it was, but was dangling in such an angle he could barely breath. "Pull me up, will ye?" he gurgled.

A pair of strong arms hefted the short lieutenant in his hands and pulled him up and over the edge, helping him to his feet. Rades turned around to see who it was. A smiling face with a horseshoe shaped scar, turned from glee to horror.

"What happened to you?" Dillard demanded.

"They ripped out my eye? Isn't that kinda obvious? My aim has never been better though!" Rades said trying to sound cheerful.

The Stornium sounded different to Dillard. He had always seemed a bit subdued since the Siege of Deltex but now he was very subdued, bordering on depression. He tried to ignore the loss of his eye as he had the loss of Deltex by putting on a good front, but Dillard knew better. He too had acted that way years ago when all his friends died during Hitlot's War. Inside he had felt like dying. "Who did this to you?"

"The Lairmaster himself."

"Then we better hurry if we plan on getting a piece of him before Wynic tears him apart.

"Sure, but first we better get the Princess and all the slaves out of the pit."

"No problem. Adrienne, go tell Kerry we found her sister. Say is Pothax down there too?" he asked, turning back to the Stornium.

"Pothax? Was he captured too?"

Pothax was being led blindfolded to the Lairmaster's chambers. He could tell from the sounds around him however that something was wrong. They needed him for something Kristine had said. What could they possibly need him for? More love making? Was the Lairmaster a female?

"Hurry up," whispered Kristine in his ear. "You're going to be surprised when you see the Lairmaster. Trust me!"

"Oh, really? Is she as good looking as you are?"

"No silly! He's old and getting into his years, but he's certain that you'll recognize him!"

"Okay, lead the way." She stopped and opened a door. He felt a cold draft rush by him into the room and Kristine led him forward into the room. It was warm inside and Pothax could hear a large fire blazing. Wood fire by the smell too! The floor was wood paneled and he could smell an open bottle of Kinian brand somewhere. It reminded him of Wynic's den though this had a distinctive smell to it.

She led him to a chair and had him sit down. She then pulled out a long length of rope and tied him securely to the chair. "Safety precautions dear," she whispered in his ear. She untied the handkerchief around his head and placed a light kiss on his cheek.

He looked around, his keen eyes adjusting to the dimness of the room. There was a heavy oak desk polished to a smooth shine, a stuffed Ice Lands bear standing on it's hind legs with it's huge maw opened and ready to attack. A collection of daggers lined the one wall along with a jar of marbles in what looked like pickle juice. Pothax thought that peculiar and looked around to see more jars of pickled marbles. There was an antique platinum saber and a belt full of Stornium stars. Several crossbows were displayed on one wall, and a flail, a mace and a barbed spear on the other wall. Over the fireplace, he could see more pickled marbles and what looked like a thunder-bow though he couldn't see it that well, since it hurt to turn his head that far around.

"Quite a collection," Pothax said curiously. "Why all the marbles?"

There was a laugh in the next room and the door beside the stone fireplace opened and closed. "Marbles," he chuckled. "Some people say I've lost my marbles, bringing you here and offering you this, Pothax. They say that since you hate my guts that you'd never forgive me and join me in my quest. I really must thank Wynic when he gets here for killing Kobalix for me. That's what all the ruckus is about that you hear out in the hallway. The lad's coming here thinking he can kill me!" He laughed and turned to face Pothax. "And he thinks that I'm already dead!" laughed Ror Doxon, the Lairmaster, the Collector of Eyeballs, the Grand Torturer, the father of Wynic Doxon, the Paladin Assassin and Pothax Doxon, the Owl that felt like his wings had just been chopped off and stuffed in his mouth to stop his hooting.

Waytorn opened a door cautiously, dagger in hand, ready to kill any occupants of the room. It wasn't a room however, but a large tunnel about two hundred yards long that led down to the prisoner level. Fallen icicles were scattered around the chamber, the ceiling was filled with them. The hundred or so minotaurs, cutthroats and poachers suggested that Waytorn had stumbled upon a major horde of warriors. They were gathering their forces to attack! He slammed the door quickly. "Uh, Larry? I think you should call for reinforcements!"

"Why? There can't be that many in there?" demanded Larry opening the door and shutting it quickly. "On the other hand, I agree. There is a number of slaves down below in the prisoner level with nothing to do. What say we go tell them about this bunch?"

"Lead the way," Waytorn commanded urgently. He was quite shocked that they could have over looked such a large group of warriors. The much needed slaves would be thrilled however to get back at their overlords.

He ran past Larry and down the stairs, three at a time. "Sir Dillard," he shouted. "Where's Sir Dillard?" he demanded. The massed slaves looked like an army of beggars to the Culprit.

"Over here," shouted the knight, pushing his way through the crowd. "What do you need?"

"There is a very large group of a poachers through that door at the end of the hallway," Waytorn explained loudly for the slave's benefit. He pointed to the west where a large door stood. He never expected to cause a riot, just a general agreement to attack.

The slaves roared a cheer and someone screamed, "Glory to Rades!" They rioted easily, and Waytorn, Dillard and his companions were dragged along with the flow of people as they charged down the narrow hallway towards the door. "Glory to Rades?" asked the cutthroat.

"Rades was imprisoned here, remember? He was leading a slave revolt even as we were charging the front gates! They idolize him! Loyal to the dead, everyone of them! Rades will have to tell you about it sometime. Right now we've got a riot on our hands!" shouted Dillard. He was dragged away in the crowd and Waytorn had to struggle to keep up with the knight.

The door at the end of the hallway was knocked right off the hinges by a berserking slave and kicked out of the way. The minotaurs within the tunnel were shocked but they quickly gathered up their weapons, formed a defensive phalanx. A single minotaur which Rades recognized stood apart from the rest, eagerly greeting a challenge. Raynard.

Dillard made his way through the seething crowd of berserking slaves towards the huge minotaur that would appear to be a challenge. A different minotaur stepped into his path, swinging a huge broadsword. He recalled Rades saying something about a giant minotaur, called Raynard to stay away from him. He shrugged, Rades wanted Raynard, and started to attack the minotaur with the broadsword.

Waytorn however found himself beside the young, battered Stornium. He stared him in the eye. "What happened to you?" he demanded. "That's worse than what happened to me!"

"Lairmaster ripped my eye out for his collection," Rades replied, trying to shrug it off. He raised his rapier and pointed at the huge minotaur that was tossing slaves around left, right and center. "Raynard," he spat. "Bastard broke my grandfather's sword!"

"Want some help?" offered Waytorn, knowing nobody could easily take on such a huge creature without help.

"Sure. Be careful he doesn't catch your blade. He can crush it with his bare hands." He started towards the huge minotaur. Waytorn thought that hard to believe but then saw the minotaur throw a slave fifteen feet into the air and catch him in one hand with ease. Maybe not.

Rades led the way through the teeming slaves towards the minotaur. The slaves were now staying away from the minotaur if they could, but Raynard was pursuing them. Until Rades and Waytorn got there and stood in his path.

Raynard chuckled. "You again? Let me show you what I can really do? Go ahead?" he taunted. He laughed heartily. "Swing at me!"

Rades swung his rapier at the huge brute. It bounced off the brute's thick hide with only a scratch. Waytorn stood back. This was not your regular minotaur, Rades barely reached past his waist and Waytorn's dagger had bounced off harmlessly. Almost like it had built in armour under its skin. He grabbed Rades' collar and dragged him back into the crowd of slaves.

"What are you doing?" yelled Rades. "Let me at him!"

"His skin is better than armour Rades! You'll need either a damn sharp sword, a crossbow or maybe a spear to do him any harm!" He dragged the Lieutenant past Dillard and slipped on something. They both crashed to the ground and Waytorn looked around to see what he tripped on.

It was barely visible amongst the ice an snow because it was almost transparent. "Or maybe an icicle!" he yelled in Rades' ear. He pulled the Stornium to his feet and plunged through the crowd towards a space of the tunnel where there were hundreds of icicles scattered on the ground.

"You expect an icicle to get through his hide where a sword can't?" demanded Rades. He crossed his arms and waited.

"Yes! Now get looking for a really pointy one! Unless you want to use that damned pistol!"

"I can't! I ran out of pellets!"

"Well, then get looking!"

Raynard was busy making his way through a crowd that parted before him until he crossed his path with a knight with a horseshoe shaped scar on his forehead. "Out of my way!" he shouted, reaching out a hand to push the knight aside.

Dillard parried the hand away easily.

"Ouch!" boomed the minotaur. The blade hadn't drawn blood, but it had stung. "Why you little bantling?" He groped for the knight but found nothing to grab. A second later he noticed his money pouch missing. He looked around angrily for the knight.

"Looking for something?" asked Dillard, tossing the pouch into the air and catching it. He couldn't help but wonder why he'd called him a brat unless he called all pick-pockets bantlings. He thanked Bren mentally for teaching him to pick-pocket. He'd nearly forgotten about that. Bren would accuse him of doing it wrong, of course.

Raynard ran towards the knight, picking up momentum and pushing slaves aside with his bulk alone. "Give that back, ye damned bantling!"

"Ye better hurry, Rades! Dillard needs some help!"

"I know, but this one's stuck!" replied Rades, trying to yank a huge icicle from the ice floor. "Give me some help will ye?"

Waytorn dropped the icicles he was looking over and ran over to help the Lieutenant. They grabbed hold of the base of the icicle and placed their hands firmly on the frozen ice. "Okay, one...two...three!" The icicle came free easily and the two of them fell backwards onto the ice floor.

Dillard tossed the pouch at the minotaur and disappeared into the crowd. Standing up, Rades watched and saw him reappear behind the minotaur. He swung the blade, this time drawing a line of blood across the minotaur's back.

Raynard swung around angrily with a roar and snapped the knight's head with a single punch.

Rades stood there in amazed shock with the icicle in his hands. Dillard dead? Surely, this was some horrible nightmare?

"What are waiting for Rades? Kill him!" shouted Waytorn.

The Lieutenant barely aimed when he threw the icicle, but he couldn't have aimed better. It crashed through the minotaur's taunting mouth in a downward arc, through his neck and came out his back where Dillard had sliced him. He would have died anyway, Rades knew, Dillard kept his blade poisoned.

"Oh, my god!" said Waytorn and began to recite something. Rades didn't listen. He was crying.

"He to touch it,
He to wield it,
Shall rule the World.

It will not break,
Rust or dull,
Tarnish or bend,
Burn or melt.

It is made of Godsteel
And of Godoak.

Long it is lost,
Long it will stay,
That way.

Until he who speaks,
The Shadows,
Claims it.

It is the Spear of Destiny,
And only he who speaks,
The Shadows,
May lift it from
It's icy embrace."

"God forgive me," swore Waytorn. He reached over and grabbed Rades by the shoulder. "Come, my friend. We must take Dillard to a place where his body won't be trampled."

Rades nodded dumbly and followed. They made their way through the crowd quickly and easily. Waytorn pulled the spear from Raynard's corpse and fashioned it, Rades' rapier, Waytorn's cloak and Dillard's longsword into a makeshift litter. They carried the Arthian knight out into the hallway, and laid him down gently.

"Stay here and guard him, Rades. I will go find Lieutenant Adrienne." He frowned wearily and walked away. He wondered what finding the Spear meant for him. Destiny was something he did not like. Did that mean, even if he retired, he would rule the world anyway? Or was that all myth? Why had it come out so freely when he pulled on it? Because he was a cutthroat? Was it really even the Spear?

Princess Kelly was walking in a dream world it seemed. Nothing was real anymore. All around her there was death, and frightening sights. The man with only one eye was no exception. He frightened her. The man with the half-scarred face was another one. Kerry was with her, she knew that, but she was only vaguely aware that Kerry was talking to her. She would occasionally mumble a reply.

The knights frightened her. They were large, constantly clanking and always reaching out to her with soothing faces. It occurred to her that they were only trying to help, but she still shied away from them.

Her brother Boyce was there now. He wanted to kiss and embrace her but she wouldn't let him. She stayed away from him. He frowned and she took another step backwards and fled up the stairs.

Kerry was following her. She could hear her sister but didn't stop. She turned a corner and fell over something and sprawled onto the floor.

She looked up and he was very clear in her eyes. He was crying. She could tell because his eyes were both closed and his cheeks were wet. She looked around and saw a dead man lying on the ground. His head was snapped off to the side. She did not shy away from either man. Something told her the one could not do anything and the other was much too busy and couldn't see her anyway.

Kerry was standing nearby and talking. She was talking to Rades. Whether that was the man on the floor or the man crying, she could not tell.

The crying man opened one eye and answered. Kelly stayed back from him and gave a whimper. It was the one-eyed man from the big hole. He was talking about someone called Dillard. Kelly remembered someone called Dillard from the ride in the ice boat.

A second man appeared with a young woman. It was the man with the half-scarred face. She knew the woman from the ride on the ice boat. She too was crying.

"Adrienne," someone said. That was the crying woman's name. The scar-man was crying a bit too, but not as much as the one-eyed man.

An Arthian came down the hallway. His boots were very noisy and Kelly backed away from, leaning against the wall beside the one-eyed man. He was big and was carrying a bag with pointy things sticking out of it. Bag pipes, something told her. They make loud music. She didn't feel like music right now.

The one-eyed man jumped to his feet and grabbed the bag pipes. The Arthian shouted something and raised a hand to hit the one-eyed man.

Suddenly everything snapped into clarity. The music, loud boisterous music was crying out to Kelly. There were low notes. They were long and mournful. Tears sprung to Kelly's eyes and she began to cry.

The others stood in amazement as the music poured forth like a wave of cold water. It felt good to Kelly. She looked around. "What's happened?" she asked.