Sargon and Friza moved cautiously down an underground passage beneath the hidden city. The mages were currently below one of the abandoned estates. Friza's detection spell had led them to a strong source of magic. The pair had already circumvented several traps to reach their destination.
"We have arrived, umngani," Friza arrogantly announced. Her natural haughtiness had returned since her narrow escape from the crushing walls. "The object of our search lies beyond this wall.
The pair had seemingly reached a cul-de-sac in the passage. At Sargon's direction, his conjured light globe flew up to the dead end. Its light illuminated every detail of the passage's end. To the untrained eye, it appeared to simply be a blank wall.
"Observe, isithunzi philile," Sargon noted. "Worn groves in the floor. The wall pivots. The release mechanism must be here somewhere..."
"There," Friza indicated, pointing her finger. "The stone is well worn in this spot." Friza pushed the stone she had indicated and it easily moved deeper into the wall.
Both mages stepped back for safety. The end wall suddenly began to rumble and slowly move. A concealed door opened towards them revealing a brightly lit chamber behind it. Cautiously, both mages moved to the entrance and looked inside the previously hidden room.
The room was rectangular in shape with two openings leading off into other chambers. A large desk filled one side with several bookcases filled with tomes and scrolls behind it. Several comfortable chairs and a couch occupied the other side of the room. Light globes, similar to the one conjured by Sargon illuminated the room from the ceiling. Perhaps what was most remarkable was how clean the chamber was. The room was not choked with dust from the passing centuries.
"A hidden magehold!", Friza noted excitedly and started to move forward. "A personal library and study area, along with a place to relax and reflect. Obviously, the area has been enchanted to remain clean and fresh."
Sargon brought the Ectolian to a stop by placing his hand on her shoulder. "Patience, isithunzi philile. Let me make sure the area is free from traps before we explore."
Anger momentarily flashed over Friza's face. She was about to unleash a verbal assault towards her companion for touching her like that. He was, after all, just a lowly weselisa. But she thought better and refrained. Her features softened once more. "Of course, umngani. No need to proceed recklessly at this point."
Sargon stepped ahead of Friza and examined the room. Everything seemed safe enough. No snares were noted by his spell. Most likely they had already circumvented the traps that protected this hidden area. It would be foolish to place traps within the concealed area itself, but one never knew for sure.
"The way is clear," Sargon announced. "Let us proceed."
With an almost gleeful look on her face, Friza moved forward towards the desk and library. She gave the scrolls and tomes a quick examination. A few she pulled and paged through for curiosity sakes. A more detailed examination would come later.
Sargon himself disappeared through one of the openings. A short hallway led to another opening and into a large chamber. More light globes were in place to brighten this underground room. Sargon gasped as he recognized the contents of the chamber. It was a large laboratory for magical research. Shelves ringed the walls of the chamber and they were crammed with bottles and containers of varying sizes and composition. All were labeled and most contained magical powders, liquids, and other spell components. Much like the outer chamber, the laboratory was also clean and its contents fresh.
Cabinets and drawers held a variety of staffs, wands, and mundane weapons and armor. Some were already enchanted, while others were not. Perhaps whoever owned this hidden laboratory had yet to infuse them with magical power. What was clear was that it was going to take Sargon and Friza days to carefully and fully examine the contents of this hidden hoard. Such a thing was always a great pleasure to any mage. The chance to gain new items and learn new magicks was always eagerly looked forward to. Sargon slowly explored the vast chamber, taking his time so as not to miss any details.
Satisfied with his initial examination, Sargon returned to the main chamber. He was eager to share his findings with the Friza, but the Ectolian was not there. She had most likely gone to investigate the other passage. After all, Sargon had spent nearly half an hour exploring the laboratory alone.
The other passage led to more mundane chambers. There was a small pantry that once must have held foodstuffs, but was now bare. One door concealed an empty lavatory. By process of elimination, Friza must be behind the last door at the end of the hallway.
Sargon opened the door and entered into what had been the bedchamber of the sorceress who once occupied these chambers. Based on the decor of the room, it was obvious that this bedroom belong to a female. The centerpiece of the chamber was a luxurious bed with varnished wooden posts. Silken covers still covered the bed and seemed in excellent shape in spite of their age.
A wide dressing screen shielded one corner of the room. Close by was a full-length mirror held in an elaborate wooden frame. Beside this was a dressing table. Several furs covered the stone floor.
A chest at the foot of the bed was currently open. Inside was a small fortune in coins and gems. Sargon eyed the riches for a moment. This treasure would keep the Avengers free of financial worries for many months. The cost of securing passage on the Windsabre had been a high one, but at the time they could not refuse.
Sargon then noticed that Friza's cloak had been thrown over the top of the dressing screen. Likewise, her metal-like outfit had been casually sat on a nearby table. Her purple boots sat on the floor beside the table. There was someone moving behind the dressing screen.
"Friza? Are you in here?"
"One moment, umngani," Friza called out. "I am almost ready."
"Ready for what? What are you doing?"
"The sorceress who lived here had a vast wardrobe. I'm taking advantage of it to change my attire. It reminds me to much of my past life, of what I once was and never will be again."
"I think I understand," Sargon said. "Something more appropriate for your current situation. Something not so harsh." From Sargon's perspective, the metallic outfit that Friza had been wearing didn't seem all that comfortable. Of course, maybe comfort had not been the idea.
Slowly Friza stepped out from behind the screen, as if she was unsure of herself. "Do you think this is more acceptable?"
Sargon's jaw dropped slightly as he took in Friza's new look. Her new attire concealed much of her skin. Friza wore a loose fitting green tunic that fell just below her waist. The sleeves were flared and ended below her elbows. Over this she wore a dark green over-the-shoulder bodice that formed her bosom and shaped her figure. It matched the color of her leggings. Lastly, Friza had changed to a pair of dark brown boots, knee high and folded over back to her ankles. The look was softer and not as intimidating as before.
"You look radiant, isithunzi philile," Sargon whispered. "A vision of loveliness."
Friza almost didn't know how to take the compliment. No one had ever said such a thing to her before. "I believe 'thank you' is the expected reply among you abantu. These garments appear to be enchanted as well."
"In what manner?"
"They adjusted to my size for one thing," Friza explained. "I would expect that they would not require cleaning. I do not notice the heat as much in them. They are exceptionally comfortable as well. No self respecting Ectolian would dare wear such frivolous garments. To do so is a sign of weakness. My weakness."
"No Ectolian foolish enough to serve the Empress," Sargon corrected. "A stuck up and arrogant lot if you ask me."
Friza looked away momentarily. It was difficult to deal with what she once was. She had served the Empire for a great many years. Had tasted power and found it to her liking. She reveled in controlling others and being waited upon by slaves and servants. To suddenly find herself on the outside, joining with those she had once opposed was a major change in her life.
"I suppose you think me stuck up and arrogant as well."
Sargon casually crossed the distance between himself and Friza. "A week ago, I might have agreed with you. I find you to be a very intelligent woman and a powerful sorceress. Potentially a very valuable ally. Perhaps even more in the time to come."
"Perhaps, umngani," Friza admitted. "What did you find in your explorations?" At this point Friza was unsure what she wanted. For the time being she needed the protection of these lesser beings just to survive. The thought sickened the Ectolian maiden. It was another humiliation for her to endure.
"You'll find this most interesting, isithunzi philile," Sargon said excitedly. "A fully stock laboratory and along with some enchanted items. Shall we take a look before returning to the others?" Sargon held his hand out to Friza and smiled at the inkonzo.
Reluctantly at first, Friza held her hand out and put it in Sargon's. "By all means, umngani. Let's see what secrets this sorceress left behind and how they may be used to my-- our advantage."
Lyndah valiantly struggled to free herself from the manacles and chains that held her prisoner. Her efforts were for naught. The mysterious mage that had captured her and Captain Valor began to chant the words to his vile spell. The incantation that would cause the spirit of Lyndah to be torn from her body and placed inside the metal golem beside the mage. The deranged wizard claimed that the soul of his dead wife resided inside the magical construct. His wife would soon be flesh and blood once more residing in Lyndah's body.
Arcane energy began to gather around Lyndah's naked form as the sorcerer weaved his spell. Lyndah struggled with all her might, but it was not enough to break the shackles holding her. Without her magical girdle, her strength was ordinary. Only someone with superhuman strength could break these chains.
"Help me, Captain Valor!" Lyndah cried out once more to her fellow captive. Valor was also held prisoner on an adjacent platform. He was also chained down and naked, as both had been captured while frolicking in a pool. "Wake up, Captain! Evil does threaten us!"
Captain Valor groaned slightly as his head moved to one side. The action filled Lyndah with hope. Perhaps he could still save her from this horrific fate? If only he would wake up!
The mage continued to cast his spell and the energy around Lyndah grew in intensity. The arcane energy moved and weaved around her body like it was a living thing. Then Lyndah cried out in agony as the energy invaded her. She arched her back as it felt like her spirit was being forcibly pulled out. Tears ran down the swordswoman's cheeks.
More magical energy gathered around the golem, but the construct didn't show any signs of pain or discomfort. It simply stood there completely indifferent about what was going on. It showed no effects from the spell being invoked.
Suddenly, bolts of magical energy were exchanged between Lyndah and the golem. Lyndah ceased her screaming and her body fell back on the stone platform. Spent from her ordeal, Lyndah simply laid there inert.
"It is done," the unknown mage announced in triumph. He slumped slightly from the effort to cast the spell. Such powerful magicks were always a drain to the caster. "She has returned to me at last!"
Regaining his strength, the mage rose up once more. He lovingly looked upon the body of Lyndah. The new body that housed his wife was most pleasing to the eye. She was now young and vital. As the mage watched, she opened her lovely blue eyes.
"How do you feel?"
The body of Lyndah looked around in confusion before locking in on the face of the mysterious mage. "I think I'm alright." Lyndah tried to sit up but was unable because of the chains holding her hands and feet. "What's going on here? Please free me, beloved."
"Your wish is my command," the mage said with a smile. He quickly moved to free Lyndah's hands, but suddenly stopped. He paused for a moment before looking back at Lyndah. "First a simple test, my love. To prove that my spell succeeded."
"Of course it succeeded. You've never failed me before. Please hurry! I've been denied your touch for so long!"
"And I yours," the mage agreed. "But I must be certain that you are really my wife. Speak my name, beloved, and I shall free you from your bonds."
'Lyndah' didn't immediately respond. Instead she looked away as if trying to come up with the correct answer.
"If you truly are my wife, then the question should be an easy one to answer. What is my true name?" The mages expression hardened as he spoke. He was beginning to become unsure of the success of his spell.
"Wendell? What the hell are you doing?"
Both the mage and Lyndah followed the unexpected outburst back towards its source: the stone platform that held Captain Valor! While the spell was being cast, the Captain had regained his wits and was now aware of what was going on around him.
"How can it be--?", the mage stammered out in shock. This strange man had spoken his name. Could the spell have been incorrectly cast? Had his wife's spirit been sent into the man's body instead? Was that possible? "How do you know my name, stranger? Speak quickly for your very life depends on it!"
Captain Valor ignored the question and continued to voice his own queries. "What the hell is going on here? Some kind of kinky orgy? I never knew you were the type, Wendell. I guess that just goes to show you that it's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. 'Scuze me while I don't take you threatening my gal lying down!"
Valor jerked his hands upwards, snapping the chain that had been securing him. Sitting up, Valor next slammed the manacles on the edge of the stone platform, breaking them in half. He flicked what remained of the manacles away with a casual gesture.
The mage watched this transpire in wide-eyed wonder. "No man possesses such strength! It is not possible! What sort of being are you?"
"Hey, it's me," Valor countered in all humility. "I do the impossible on a daily basis."
"Many things are possible to Captain Valor," Lyndah cried out in delight. "I warned you, mage, but you didn't heed my words! Now Captain Valor will show you the error of your ways!"
Lyndah couldn't explain it, but she didn't feel any different after the mage Valor called Wendell had cast his spell. At one point it felt like her spirit was being drawn out of her body, but the process had mysteriously stopped. She was grateful that Captain Valor had finally recovered, as she really didn't know the name of the mystery mage. The fact that no transfer had taken place was going to be revealed in mere moments.
"You said it, toots," Valor said in agreement with Lyndah. He reached down and snapped the manacles securing his feet with his bare hands. The metal groaned in protest, but was not sturdy enough to hold Captain Valor. The Avenger was now free! "No one ties up my woman and feels her up! That's my job!"
"Keep back," the mage commanded, as he stepped behind his golem for protection. "Stay away from me, you demon! I will defend myself!"
"Yeah, you do that," Valor shot back. Captain Valor flew from his stone platform and directly at the mage and his magical construct. He couldn't help but pause to take in a quick glance at Lyndah. God, she was so gorgeous and sexy chained to that platform! "Just hold that pose, darlin'. I'll be back for you in a jiffy!"
Captain Valor landed beyond the platform holding Lyndah and before the metal golem. "So what's the deal here, Wendell? Why are you doing this and how come this statue looks like Maggie?"
The duo before Captain Valor was very familiar to his eyes. Back on Earth they both had been Avengers along with Valor. They had left the team during the brief relationship with the Guardians. The pair had remained with the Guardians and was now husband and wife. Wendell was better known to the world as Warlock, and Maggie, short for Margaret, was the superheroine Density!
"How can you know such things?", the Warlock demanded. The fact that this stranger knew so much about him and his wife was astonishing. There was no rational explanation. The strain on Wendell was rapidly becoming too much. Something snapped inside. These strangers were a threat that must be dealt with. "Kill them! Kill them all, my beloved!"
In response to the command, the golem started to lumber towards Captain Valor. Each step it took caused the ground to shake. The construct was as tall as Captain Valor, but nearly twice as wide. It took a swing at the Captain, but he easily ducked underneath the blow. Speed and grace was not something possessed by this animated statue.
"What the heck is your beef, Wendell? Maggie might have sucker punched me before, but I've got the feeling that she's not going to do much in a fair fight!"
Joining his hands together, Captain Valor struck the golem in the chest with a loud thud. The force of the impact moved the golem back several steps, its arms waving widely in an attempt to keep its balance.
"Ow! That hurt!", Valor complained. It felt like the statue of Density was made of solid steel! He had no idea just how that walking hunk of metal could move around. Must be by magic, knowing this crazy world.
Captain Valor surged forward and leaped into the air. He twisted and landed a two-footed flying kick directly on the torso of the golem. "I bet you're going to get a kick out of this!" Valor fell back after his attack, and tumbled to his feet, ready to strike again.
However, that was not going to be necessary. The golem was forced back once more and this time it failed to maintain its balance. As Captain Valor came out of his roll, he saw the statue of Density falling back over and on top of Warlock.
"No! No, beloved!", Warlock cried out in vain. It was far too late and the golem slammed onto the mage, crushing him. There was a sickening splat followed by numerous body fluids being sent flying outwards. The mage's body twitched several times and then ceased moving completely.
"EEEWWWW! That's disgusting", Captain Valor groaned as he looked away. He had never intended for Warlock to meet such a grisly fate. "Poor bastard never had a chance. It was like dropping a cinder block on a tomato."
Surprisingly, the golem just laid there, crushing the remains of its late master. Maybe it had shut itself off? Captain Valor eyed it for several moments to make sure it remained inactive before turning back to Lyndah.
"Is he...?", Lyndah inquired.
"Dead as a doornail," Captain Valor responded. "Flat as a pancake. A smear on the sidewalk. He's now a sail sorcerer."
"You knew of him?"
"I knew my world's version of him. He went by the name Warlock and we fought together. He, or rather the Warlock that I knew, was a friend. That statue thingie looks a lot like his wife. We called her Density. What was going on here?"
"I can't say for sure," Lyndah admitted. "He claimed that the soul of his wife was trapped inside the golem. His plan was to swap our spirits and place me inside that construct."
"Nice guy," Captain Valor muttered. "I guess he was nothing like the man I knew. Anyway, on to bigger and better things." Valor looked down at the still chained Lyndah and smiled widely. "I guess this here is another fantasy I can cross off of my list. This world of yours is looking better and better all the time, Lyndah."
"So I am your woman now?"
"Hey, I've always been protective of the fairer sex. As for us, you're my woman for as long as you want to be."
"A far from unbearable situation. Would you mind?", Lyndah said, indicating her bonds.
"No, not at all." Valor moved beside Lyndah's feet. He acted like he was going to free her, but instead choose to tickle the bottom of her feet!
Lyndah couldn't help but gasp and laugh in surprise and shock. "Stop that!", she begged between peals of laughter. "You're an evil man!"
"I just love the way you laugh," Valor admitted as he watched Lyndah's body shake. Moving from her feet, Valor grabbed the manacles holding her ankles captive and easily snapped them. Stepping around to the other end of the platform, Valor repeated the process freeing Lyndah's hands.
"Thank you," Lyndah said as she sat up. She rubbed her wrists, trying to get the feel back in them. She was bloodied in a few spots from her exertions, but it was nothing serious. "We should locate our clothing and alert our comrades."
"Always a delight to rescue a fair maiden. They aren't usually so accommodating."
"Then come and take your reward, Captain Valor," Lyndah said with a smile. She placed her hands around his neck. She smiled momentarily before passionately kissing her rescuer.
"Don't mind if I do," Valor managed to say in response. Terra Nova was looking better and better all the time. "We'll find the others in a bit. Now where were we when we were so rudely interrupted?"
Hunter moved through the shadows of the ruins like a ghost. His passage made no sound. He moved swiftly and with complete confidence. Reaching a new vantage point, Hunter crouched close to the ground to observe. One of the numerous deserted streets in the hidden city stretched out before him.
To the untrained eye, the street seemed empty and deserted. This was not the case. The faint sound of footfalls could be heard. Someone concealed by invisibility was walking down the street. When Hunter and Katrina had first discovered the unknown person they had been dripping wet and leaving behind noticeable footprints. As this person moved deeper into the hidden city they had dried out and could now only be tracked by sound.
As Hunter watched and listened, he could spy Katrina following along using the ruins and debris on the other side of the street as cover. Katrina would move further ahead of the target they were shadowing and find a concealed place to watch. Once Katrina was situated, Hunter would then be on the move again.
The husband and wife Avengers had trailed their unknown target from a slum area near the docks to deeper into the city. The quality of the buildings in this portion of the city was significantly greater. There were fewer collapses of entire buildings. But the signs of ancient age were still evident.
Their invisible target came to a stop before a walled estate. The walls were intact for the most part, with only a few sections having fallen. At one time a pair of iron gates served as the main entrance, but only one of the gates remained standing.
By now, Katrina had secured an observation position on the roof of a building across from the estate. The high vantage point offered the woman a view into the estate. Unfortunately, there was really not much to see. There was a walkway leading to the main house. Along the sides of the path was what once might have been a garden, now long overgrown.
Movement deeper inside the estate attracted Katrina's attention. Emerging from the main house were the mages Friza and Sargon. Surprisingly, the Ectolian had changed her attire into something that made her look less like a whore. The two were casually walking along talking. They appeared to be carrying several items with them. Both were walking towards the entrance to the estate unaware of the potential peril they might be facing!
Cursing under her breath, Katrina turned back towards Hunter's hiding place. She gestured wildly to get his attention. Hunter couldn't help but notice. Katrina flashed a series of hand signals to her husband. Such gestures had been devised many years ago as a silent means of communication among the Avengers.
Hunter singled back his understanding. The two had planned to follow their invisible target to where it would lead them, but now that had changed. Hunter emerged from his hiding place and glided forward. The time to capture their unsuspecting prey had arrived!
Locking in on his target, Hunter produced a pair of bolos. He swung them over his head for a moment and then let go. The weapon spiraled through the air and successfully wrapped themselves around the legs of the invisible target. There was a cry of surprise and the sound of someone hitting the ground followed.
While Hunter was using his bolos to disable the target, Katrina was on the move once more. She gracefully leaped down to the ground from her position and started to run towards their unseen target. As she sprinted along, Katrina drew her favorite daggers and steeled herself for battle.
The bolos and the dust kicked up by the body falling to the street gave Katrina a target to home in on. As she advanced, the figure materialized before Katrina's eyes. It was a short person who had been badly burned. Her flesh had been seared and was heavily blistered. Likewise, the hair had been burnt away.
The burned figure could vaguely be identified as that of an Ectolian female. She held in her hands a trident. The weapon was familiar to Katrina. She had briefly seen it wielded by the same sorceress who had directed the sea creatures to attack the Windsabre! She had somehow survived the magical arrow attack and followed the ship to this island!
Vina struggled to free her feet from the entangling bolos. Katrina moved in. Somehow Vina spotted the approaching woman in black leather and swung her trident towards her. Katrina didn't consider the weapon to be dangerous. She was too close for it to be used correctly. It would be impossible to Katrina to be stabbed by the trident.
Instead, Vina tried to smack Katrina with the side of her weapon. The Ectolian lacked the physical strength to knock Katrina off of her stride. However, as the trident came into contact with Katrina, an electric shock was generated through the weapon. Katrina was momentarily frozen in place and then was thrown back by the attack. She crumbled to the ground unconscious.
"No!", Hunter screamed as he came forth. His heart in his throat, Hunter ran full out to reach the burnt woman. He had to stop her before she could strike again at the defenseless Katrina.
As he rushed forward, Hunter reached down and grabbed a fist-sized rock from the ground. Continuing to advance, Hunter flung the makeshift missile at the prone Vina.
Vina glanced back towards the noise and spotted the flying rock a split second before it connected with her forehead. Vina managed to gasp in shock and then her world went black as the rock hit with a sickening thud. Vina then crumbled back to the street.
Hunter reached Vina and quickly made sure that the witch was truly unconscious. A sizeable lump was already noticeable on her forehead. From the looks of it, she was going to be unconscious for quite a while. Satisfied with his efforts, Hunter continued on to Katrina.
Much to his relief, Katrina was already beginning to come around. The shock she endured was enough to stop her in her tracks, but was not fatal. Katrina groaned slightly as Hunter helped her up. "Are you all right?"
"Just a bit dizzy," Katrina admitted as she hung on to Hunter for support. "What happened?"
"Some type of shock was generated by the trident. Obviously, it is more than just a simple weapon."
"It is magical in nature," another woman's voice called out. Turning back towards the estate, the husband and wife could see Friza and Sargon approaching. "So, we didn't kill this inja like we had first thought. Pity."
"This is the one who attacked us at sea?" Sargon glanced down at the unconscious Vina. It was hard to imagine what she originally looked like. The fire had seared her flesh and burned her hair away. The sight actually turned Sargon's stomach.
"It is she," Friza explained, her eyes not having looked away from Vina. She continued to advance on the fallen inkonzo and now stood over her. "The inja sent to take me back. Apparently our enchantments were not enough to send her to hell."
"Lets get her secured before she recovers," Hunter suggested. While he spoke, Hunter began to pull out a coil of rope. "Then we can question her at length and discover her intentions."
"That will not be necessary," Friza announced. Glancing over towards the disgraced Ectolian, everyone could see that she now had a dagger in her hand. With a quick slash, Friza cut the unconscious woman's throat. Blood immediately began to issue from the wound. "Vina is no longer a threat to anyone living."
"That was not necessary," Sargon started to chastise.
"But it was, umngani. Only her or I could survive." Friza calmly stood and cleaned the blood away from her dagger by wiping it on Vina's dying body. "Would you prefer that be me laying there?"
"No, but it didn't have to end like this."
"Such is the nature of the hunt," Katrina added, her dizziness fading. "There can only be one survivor. Having one her kind around is bad enough. I shudder to think about having two of them."
"I am delighted that my continued survival pleases you," Friza answered sarcastically. "The strong survive. The weak die. Such is the way of the world. I wouldn't want that degenerate around either. We must burn the remains to complete the task. To insure that this inja doesn't trouble us any more."
"She could have been another potential ally," Sargon started to say.
"It's too late for pointless incriminations," Hunter spoke up. "The deed is done and I agree that the body should be destroyed. A task I will attend to personally. In the meantime, did you find anything during your explorations?"
Sargon managed to turn his gaze away from Vina and back towards Hunter. "Oh, yes! Yes we did! The estate behind us once belonged to a powerful sorceress."
"Powerful for her time," Friza chimed in smugly. "Not as skilled as those currently present."
"Anyway, we've uncovered a stockpile of magical texts, some weapons and equipment, and a sizeable fortune in coins, gems, and jewels," Sargon continued excitedly. "It'll take days to sort everything out!"
Epilogue:
Once back at the Windsabre, the Avengers shared their adventures among the ruins of the hidden city. Edited versions of their adventures, at any rate. Certain details were not shared. Friza and Sargon agreed that the staff now in possession of Kristine was indeed powerful. The group ate heartily and retired for the evening.
Next day, the Avengers went back into the ruins as a group. They explored the sorceress' lair, but found nothing further. The treasure was taken and the group's debt to Captain Jess was paid off. The rest would keep the band going once they reached the mainland. It was agreed that Sargon, aided by Friza would continue to search the lair to identify magic items and scrolls.
Lyndah helped herself to the sorceress wardrobe as well, as she had nothing else to wear but her leather armor. She selected a white top with a light blue sarong and sandals. While not as interesting as her leather outfit, Captain Valor pronounced it sexy.
The group then searched the complex where Warlock had held Lyndah and Captain Valor captive. The still inert golem was right where they had left it, on top of the decaying corpse of the deranged mage. The smell was nauseating and numerous small vermin were present as well feasting.
Before anyone could realize what was going on, Friza began spellcasting. Her incantation was directed towards the golem itself. Upon its completion, the construct rose to its feet on Friza's command.
"Golems are lumbering creatures," Friza noted in delight, "but valuable in their own way. No sense in letting this one rust here when it can be a useful tool."
"Yeah, well, just play nice with your new toy, little girl, or I'll have to spank you," Captain Valor retorted. "She looks like a special lady I once knew."
Friza just arched her eyebrow in response to Captain Valor's comments. An evening with the muscular man underneath her could be pleasurable indeed. For a moment, Friza considered just how to use the golem to make Captain Valor act upon his threat.
"I can see why the mage's spell failed," Kristine quietly spoke up. "No living spirit resides within this animated shell. I sense no living thing inside. There was nothing for the spell to transfer."
"The poor man," Sargon said, shaking his head. "His attempt to save his wife failed from the very beginning. He searched for years to save her, never realizing that she was already long gone. Such a waste."
"Perhaps he did know," Hunter suggested. "He simply chose not to be believe it."
Another small library of scrolls and tomes was found in the building that held the chambers were Warlock had attempted to restore his wife. More work for the mages in the days to come.
In the days that followed, the Avengers continued their explorations, finding several other minor mage holds. It fit in with a theory Hunter was forming that an assembly of mages conceived this hidden city as a place to practice their art in private. Just how they had feed those who lived here continued to elude the man. But he would find out just how that was accomplished. He and Katrina spent their days searching the ruins for clues.
Sargon and Friza were almost unseen, as they worked tirelessly to examine all the magic lore now at their disposal. It was common for them remain in the sorceress' lair for days at a time, only coming forth for more food and drink. In the eyes of the other Avengers, the two mages had become close friends, if not more. Some of the Avengers found that a disturbing thought.
Kristine worked to restore the Temple of Azrella to a cleaner state. Perhaps someday it would see regular use once more. Hunter had spoken about the feasibility of using the hidden city as a base of operations in the future. Provided if the difficulties in reaching the city could be overcome. Regardless, the gentle healer would straighten up the temple of her goddess even if she never set foot here again. Such was her devotion to her deity.
The sullen Robert kept mostly to himself. The amount of time Lyndah was spending with Captain Valor troubled him, but he kept such concerns to himself. He would glare at the Captain when no one was watching hate blazing in his eyes. There had to be some way to turn Lyndah away from the man, but just how to accomplish that eluded Robert.
As for Captain Valor and Lyndah, they spent much time together in the hidden city. Valor located a small area on the top of the cliffs that afforded the couple a tremendous view of the hidden city and the ocean outside. They would lie up there, talking and sharing their passions. Arm and arm they would watch the sun set in the sky, enjoying each other's company.
All too soon, the Avengers and the Windsabre would have to set sail once more. Their mission to stop the Empress of Darkness and restore freedom to the Northern Continent remained. None of them knew just how to achieve this lofty goal, but each was determined to try or die as free men in the attempt.
