Episode # 18 : Freedom Gate

Dashing into the corridor from the Treasure Chamber into the Labyrinth, you duck into the first hallway you see in the dimming light.

Slamming your back up against the wall you try to collect your wits. Your heart is about to jump out of your chest. You hear the men begin to shout, "Who lit all these torches????"

"Not me!" A slightly startled voice trembled.

"Someone’s been in here!" Came the first voice.

"Well, maybe it was her Royal Hynie drooling over "her" treasure?"

There was a retorting grumble.

The first Pirate grunts and mutters, "Could be.....She did say she were particular about certain things"

You breathe a very quiet sigh of relief.

"Besides, if it were anyone else, they be lost in the maze fer sure, the Trolls will find them," he grinned sadistically, "eventually."

The men laughed and you feel a wave of nausea thinking of what Trolls do to their victims.

You feel the talisman vibrate a little and hear some snuffling and dragging of big heavy feet coming closer.... a Troll... maybe it caught your scent!!!

Patting your pockets in hopes of inspiration of what to do, you know that moving now would certainly draw attention. Besides, you left all your torches in the Treasure Chamber and you can't see the map in this light, so to go anywhere would get you hopelessly lost.

You feel a soft lump, and your hand dives into that pocket. The soft doeskin pouch the Fae gave you! It's full of Faery dust! Trolls HATE Faery Magick!!! If you were to sprinkle the floor with it the trolls would avoid where you were like the plague!

As the dust flutters to the stone floor, the angry shriek of a woman rockets from the Treasure Chamber, "WHERE IS IT????? WHERE IS MY PHOENIX EGG!?!?!?!"

The Fae dust touches the floor and sparkles like setting a match to a fuse of gun powder.

Suddenly tiny footprints quickly light with a silvery glow, and run off in succession down the hall where you are hiding, and out away from the Treasure Room.

"The foot prints of the Fae...." You take off running down the hall following the footprints as fast as you can. All you hear of the Sorceress is her screaming, "FIND THEM!!! FIND THEM NOW!!! KILL THEM!!! BUT BRING ME BACK THAT EGG UNHARMED!" mixed with the grunting roars of trolls falling over each other in the hall behind you.

You're running as fast as you can to keep up with the Fae footprints as they zoom off in front of you.

You still hear the Trolls grunting, but it's distant now, and you think you can slow down just a little, to ease the stitch in your side that feels like an arrow stuck in your ribs.

Gasping the dank air of the dark stone corridor, you look behind you and are shocked into suddenly feeling nothing but primal fear!! The foot prints behind you are disappearing at the same rate of speed the ones in front of you were going!!!!

The term, "Feet don't fail me now!" has taken on a double meaning for you and you start running again.

As you pass hallways the footprints ignore, the volume and nearness of the vile Troll's grunts, rises and falls. You just know that sooner or later, you are going to cross paths with them.

Suddenly they seem to be right on top of you, and you look up to see a bridge over your pathway lined with hopping, dancing pairs of greenish yellow dots....Troll eyes!!! Nasty Troll eyes, reflecting the light of the Fae Footprints!!!!

The Troll's vocalizations change from grunts to triumphant roars!!

You figure they know this maze like the back of their hands... or paws or whatever. There is going to be a whole tribe of them cutting you off somewhere soon...Think....THINK!!!

Can't use the Athame...too small...if only you had a sword and shield......

SHIELD!!!!

The MIRROR SHIELD! But can you do it while you are running to keep up with those footprints???

Your talisman begins to warm again and you hold it against your heart as you try with all your heart and intent to visualize yourself running inside a mirrored ball.

Just as you are coming around a bend to a fork in the path, the foot prints take a sharp left. You see at least a dozen pair of those sickly greenish yellow eyes on the right, waiting, not daring to step on the path where the Fae footprints lead. You hold your breath and stride by them as quietly and quickly as you can.

They do not react!!!! The shield worked!!!! The talisman must have given it the 'oomph' you needed!! "Thank you Goddess!!!!!" you whisper intensely.

You've managed to keep up with the Fae footprints, but are getting really tired. Your throat is so dry and your sides ache as if they were on fire, but you keep loping along, knowing you have no other choice.

You reach inside your bag for the bottle of nectar you saved from Elvendale, and find it. The sweet cool fluid washes over your tongue and down your throat. It almost feels better than it tastes! When it has filled your belly, you feel very warm all over, and unsettlingly refreshed!

The talisman adds to the warmth and you realize you are running faster and hurting less! You send extra intense thanks in your mind and heart to the Fae and the Goddess for this magickal rejuvenating potion.

You go around a tight hairpin turn in the path and your Talisman begins to vibrate... gaining in intensity as you move forward. You follow the footsteps, alert to any blind corners on either side where danger may be lurking, but none come.

You round a bend to the left and you see diffused light growing, much like the corridor outside the Treasure Chamber that was illuminated from the torch lights. You are hoping with all your might that you are not returning to the Treasure Chamber.

Your talisman is fairly dancing with its vibrations on the end of the thong you used to tie it around your neck. Suddenly, the fairy footprints end at the portal to the room beyond.

You slow to a walk, the last of the Fairy footprints run past you and disappear like the first ones. Holding your Talisman tightly, you carefully peek around the last part of the bend that still affords you some concealment, into the chamber beyond and see..........

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