The Living Dead (Dungeons & Dragons Novel) by T. H. Lain

Author:T. H. Lain [Lain, T. H.]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9780786965052
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast Publishing
Published: 2013-06-25T00:00:00+00:00

The remaining members of the party walked wearily onward toward the mysterious glow of Silatham. Despite the sad burden he carried, Devis gaped when he saw the place.

A curved wall of wood, woven together with ancient elven techniques like Dogmar’s strange Temple of the Protector, rose into the massive evergreen trees and disappeared into the darkness high above. The massive trunks of the old-growth forest of Silath were embedded into the wall, or more likely the wall had been grown around them.

Silatham looked like an enormous, splayed onion impaled on huge evergreen trees. Several rope ladders hung down over the ground, and a curved leaf of the onion—maybe an artichoke—opened out to form a ramp that could support heavy weight; carts, horses, even marching troops. That explained the clearing. It was a mustering or unloading area. Drop your big artichoke ramp, load it up with soldiers, and the elevation renders them well-defended, Devis thought.

Of course, the place was on trees. Fire could be a problem for defenders. Live athel trees were impervious to most natural flame, and the trees had no doubt been soaked with defensive magic. The problem with this bustling town scenario—in addition to the fact that it was a myth—was location, location, location. Devis couldn’t understand how this place would support itself. It sat ringed by dense forest that would break a pack mule’s leg in a minute. It wasn’t large enough to have farms inside the onion wall. And you’d have to haul soil up a hundred feet to grow anything in treetop gardens.

This could only mean one thing. There had to be huge stores of food under this place: steaks, bread, wine, and ale. It all had to have been brought in before the trees grew up to surround it. Silatham had been stuck up there when this forest was very, very young.

Which meant that the huge, central tree sticking up through the onion had to be a fake. It was as big as the rest, but it had to be the route to the stores. Devis was suddenly very hungry. He shifted Mialee on his hip, and her arm flopped free and struck Hound-Eye. The little halfling yelped and moved ahead of the bard.

Devis’s arms ached. It was time to give up on the romantic hero bit for a moment. He flung Mialee over his left shoulder and jogged to catch up with Hound-Eye and the others. He winced every time he heard the lute smack her in the head and decided to just walk fast. Diir was already starting up one of the rope ladders. Devis hoped the ranger knew a secret way in.

The elf seemed to know where he was going, and that was encouraging. Devis still didn’t trust the glow. The splayed onion looked as if someone had lit a candle inside. This place wasn’t all dark, living athel. It was dead, and burning. Devis could actually feel the heat on his face.

From close up, Devis could see gaps, open seams where the woven wood had dried and split from age.

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