Snared: Escape to the Above by Adam Jay Epstein

Author:Adam Jay Epstein
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Imprint

12

THE LORD OF SQUALOR KEEP

The hallway of glowing crystals led the group into an imposing room with high vaulted ceilings. The painted black walls were adorned with swords and axes, some so huge only a giant could wield them, while others appeared to be made for the tiniest squatling. A stone sparring ring formed a circle in the center of the chamber.

On the opposite side of the room, sitting in a stone chair, was a creature that looked like it could have sprung from a night terror. From the waist up, it appeared to be a mighty human warrior with a thick beard and a thicker nest of twisted horns bursting from his skull, but in place of legs, it had a red-and-yellow-striped snake tail coiled on the floor.

The demonic creature was fast asleep and didn’t look up when Wily and the others entered. In fact, he was so deep in slumber that he was mumbling to himself.

“Perhaps we can tiptoe around it,” Odette whispered to the others.

Yet, before they could, the creature stirred. He looked up at them and then back down at the ground. Then, as though suddenly realizing what he had seen, the creature’s head popped back up in surprise.

“Are you real?” the snake-tailed warrior coughed out, his voice dry as if he hadn’t spoken in a long time.

“I think so,” Roveeka said, looking down at her own arms.

“Excellent!” the creature said with excitement. “You must do battle with me—no—wait, I missed a part.”

The snake creature was flustered. He tried again.

“Welcome to Squalor Keep.” He looked unsure of himself. “It’s not ‘welcome’—it’s—hold on a second—I want to get this right.”

The snake warrior reached into his suit of emerald armor and fumbled around inside. He pulled out a piece of paper and quickly read it over.

“Those who dare enter Squalor Keep,” the snake warrior intoned in a booming authoritative voice, “must face battle with me in the Ring of Blades!”

The warrior reached over and lifted a rusty sword covered in moss. It was not a scary sight. Just kind of sad and pathetic. The snake warrior looked defeated.

“My apologies. I’ve never done this before.”

“Never?” Pryvyd asked.

The snake warrior shook his head.

“You’re the only adventurers to get past the Crushing Room.”

“Ever?” Odette asked.

The snake warrior nodded.

“The lord of the keep told me to wait here until the first intruders came and report back to him after they were defeated. So I’ve been waiting. And waiting.”

“You haven’t left this room?” Wily questioned.

“I’m a Summoned One,” the demon snake said. “Following orders very specifically is what we do.”

“That must have been…,” Roveeka said, “… boring.”

“It hasn’t been the best ten years of my eternal life. But I’ve found ways to keep busy. I made a mushroom garden for myself. I do a lot of counting in my head. Sometimes I make little dolls out of clumps of moss.”

The Summoned One held up a small green doll with a snake tail.

“You’re very talented,” Roveeka said earnestly.

The Summoned One blushed.

“So,” the Summoned One

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