Swamp Trap

Astra did not know what to do. She could not dive into the muck and attempt to free the Allarian, but to leave him here stranded was not the Aquilarian way. She wondered if there was another trap, one waiting for her. "Surely this is the work of that Voice – the Master of the DragonMage!"

"Of course it is," retorted Fred in a barely breathed sentence. "To think, the Dragon of the Shreken was no true dragon –it was a hellhound wizard-dragon, a DragonMage, as your people call it. Do you have any practical words from the experience of your great-aunt?"

"Alas, no" said Astra. "Horkus is dead but Zerm the Unspeakable still roams the jungles, and my great-aunt is… as I said… we just do not know."

"I think," said Fred, "if you can move very slowly – you should get out, reconnoiter this swamp, at least the area nearest us. This Master may be nearby."

"I agree, and will you continue to – AIAAARGHHHH!!!!"

Astra's voice went to a gargle and her body thrashed as an arrow lodged in her throat!

"NO!" yelled Fred, unfortunately his instinctive movement of aid caused the undermuck trap to extend to its fullest. The swamp under both Frederigo and Astra began to heave and bubble, the small trap which was lashed about Fred’s foot pulled taught while a huge mouth of a trap, like unto a venus fly-trap made of metal and chain, rose from the sides about Fred and the dying Astra.

Fred heard the sound of two more arrows fly through the air, and saw to his horror as their tips protruded through Astra’s torso – she was indeed dead! He saw that in the direction from which the arrows had come was a bright glow as of firelight, but his attention was redirected when the mouth of the trap snapped above Fred’s head; it snapped shut, and it began pulling the corpse of the amazon and the still living body of the knight down into the muck!

1. Astra dead, Fred dead too?
2. Follow the glow...

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