Chapter 67: Tunnel Through the Trollbones pt. 4

Now, as he continued, Alcar could see the undead skeleton behind him very clearly. It was still moving no faster, but was only ten yards back, its ominous glowing green eyes fixed ahead, its progress relentless.

Alcar had successfully put out the flames that had started to lick up his robes. Doing so had given him an idea however. And the skeleton’s slow, steady speed could be a key piece of his plan.

It was now obvious – at least in Alcar’s mind – that the skeletons mindlessly moved along the tunnel at a steady speed, attacking anybody or anything they found, and converting them to fellow undead. He also felt sure that when they found themselves in groups, they were somehow programmed to divide up when they reached junctions, spreading their evil around the tunnels and caves.

It was only a theory, but it was consistent with what he had observed so far...

And if so, he could rely on the skeleton behind him to pursue him at the exact same speed, at least until such time as they encountered another corpse or another junction. And perhaps it would walk right into a fire that was built in its path.

Alcar reached inside his robes. There wasn’t much in his possession that was potentially flammable, but it might be enough:

2 pieces of ivory parchment

1 piece of dark parchment

5 honey and oat trail bars

A two-foot length of red cord

He immediately rejected consigning the book by Gorba Longtongue to his planned fire, but hesitated over the paper bags of dried beef strips. They probably would burn quite well, the meat being rich and fatty, he reflected. He didn’t want to spare it, but on the other hand, he did have five full bags remaining.

Besides – the food wouldn’t be any use to Brutus if the pair of them didn’t make it out of the tunnel alive.

Hurrying ahead, Alcar began to make a small pile of the various odds and ends in the center of the tunnel. He then lay the torch down on top of it, causing the parchment to start to smoulder and then catch.

To this collection of objects, Alcar reached down and ripped off the recently-singed section near the foot of his robes, cutting it clear with the knife he had taken from the fallen lizardwoman.

The strip of cloth, too, he added to fire. Moments later, it was burning brightly, and then the bag of beef strips began to catch, fizzing and spitting as it took flame, and releasing a single dark plume of smoke.

Alcar looked up. Sure enough, the skeleton had kept on advancing, apparently unaware of what it was walking towards, and was only a few feet away from him now.

He leaned back, and watched in anticipation as the monstous apparition took a step closer, and then another step, its pace remaining just the same as before. It had almost reached the smouldering pile of objects which was now starting to burn more fiercely.

Then it hesitated, its nearer foot no more than a few inches away from the danger. Its head slowly swivelled down, its eye sockets staring unblinkingly at the fiery obstacle.

Was it going to turn back, Alcar wondered? Sure, that wasn’t what he had planned, but in a way, it might be almost as good an outcome...

But no.

The skeleton now began to shuffle awkwardly to its right. It had somehow appraised the danger, and was trying to find a way around the fire.

Alcar now pulled his staff clear from his belt and stepped back. Holding it firmly in both hands, he swung out, smashing the skeleton hard against the side wall of the tunnel as it edged past the fire. It emitted a low groan, then staggered backwards, just out of his reach.

“Damn it,” Alcar swore.

He didn’t want to have to walk over the flames himself to take another hit. But the end of his staff did have its knotted and twisted top end – almost like a hook...

Now using the end of the staff like a shepherd’s crook, Alcar reached out and hooked it around the skeleton’s clavicle, and then yanked forward with all of his might. Sure enough, the bone – despite being connected by no visible sinew or muscle – held strongly enough to the monstrous creature’s body that Alcar was able to pull the skeleton forward. It resisted for a moment and then staggered towards him, and finally collapsed face-down onto the smouldering fire.

This time, there was a clear screech that came out of the undead creature’s mouth as it writhed upon the flames, its head twisting and looking up at him. It began to rise up, but Alcar rammed the base of his staff down onto its spine.

And then the green light went out, and the skeleton moved no more.

Alcar pulled the second torch from his belt, lighting it from the same small fire that was burning on the tunnel floor. He then stepped back, and looked around at Brutus, who was quivering in fear, some twenty yards further up the tunnel.

“Job done, boy,” called out Alcar soothingly, as he hurried forward towards the dog. “Now, by the gods, let’s find a way out of this place.”