"Did you hear that?"
Dreth looked up, broken out of the revere that he used instead of sleep. "What?"
"I thought I heard something," said Percy, peering into the dark, back the way they came. "Maybe it's the Golem."
"We had better go," said Dreth. "Wake up the wizard, he's had long enough to rest. We should get out of here."
Cuthbert poked the sleeper, who spluttered as he awoke. "Come on wizard, we need to move," said the zombie.
Redthorne quickly packed his gear, and within short order the team was moving off again. They walked for another hour, choosing passages at random, until the tunnel started to open up.
"Finally," said Dreth.
They emerged into a vast cavern. The stalactite laden roof soared high over them, dimly lit by some sort of lichen. Straight ahead, running across from left to right, a chasm plunged into inky blackness. The path veered off, running parallel to the deep underground canyon. The other side could just be made out in the gloom, too far across to jump.
Percy peered over the edge cautiously. "That's a long way down," he said.
"Come on, keep moving," said Dreth.
They walked along the path for a while. It was twisty and uneven, and in several places narrowed alarmingly.
"Anyone know anything of this place?" asked Dreth.
"Not me," said Percy.
"Nor me," said Cuthbert.
"Me too," piped up Sprat.
"Well, you're only little," said Percy.
"Maybe so," replied Cuthbert, "but he has the brain of an adult. I think it was a ranger actually."
"What's that?" asked Redthorne, interrupting the genealogy conversation. He pointed upwards.
They followed his gaze, to see a round something swooping down upon them. A hissing noise accompanied the creature as it flew into range.
"Beholder*!" shouted the wizard, and dived to one side to avoid a beam of
energy from one of the monster's eyes.
"Hold hold! We're on your side!" shouted Dreth, waving his arms about over his head.
The beast flipped away, flying round in a circle. It came to stop above and in front of them, and studied the group for a moment.
"We're from the undead area!" shouted up Dreth. "I'm Dreth, from the Undead Way, these are my frie... companions." He waved at the others.
"Oooh, nearly slipped there," said Cuthbert.
The beholder came closer carefully, hovering a short distance from them, over the canyon. His main eye glowed a dull white. "Zombies!" he said. "Long time since I saw any of you lot here. What do you want?"
"We're heading towards the center of the dungeon," replied Cuthbert helpfully, earning a Look from Dreth.
"Really? How exciting!" The beholder flew closer. "I always wanted to know what was in the middle." He waved some of his eyestalks. "Names' Robert," he said. "Bob for short."
Dreth introduced himself and the others. "This mage is with us," he said, pointing to the wizard, who was crouching behind a rock.
"Well, not sure about an adventurer, but if you vouch for him…" Bob was cut off from above.
"Robert! What are you doing there? Are you speaking to someone? If it's that floozy from down the way you are going to be in trouble…" The voice was high pitched and grating.
Bob sighed. "The Ball and Chain," he explained as another beholder, slightly smaller, came into view.
"Well, the ball anyway," whispered Cuthbert to Percy, nudging the other zombie and winking. Percy sniggered.
"Who's this? What are you doing speaking to intruders?" The second beholder floated next to Robert, waggling her eyestalks angrily.
"They aren't intruders. They're guardians, same as us!" protested Bob, rolling his major eye at Dreth.
"Guardians they may be, but not like us, oh no! We do our job Robert Beholder! You may not care, but I don't want one of those letters thank you very much." She floated down a little. "Remember what happened when that giant slug refused to slime? Warning letter one day, shriveled piece of skin in a pile of salt the next. Now, you use your ray on these creatures or there will be no you-know-what for you tonight."
She bobbed next to Bob, crossed metaphysical arms and tapped a metaphysical foot.
Her husband heaved a deep sigh. "But honey..."
"Don't you honey me! You do what I say! Now, is it going to be little piles of intruder dust, or are you going to be sleeping in the hatching chamber on your own again?"
"...but I've been talking to them! How would it look if I suddenly used my disintegration beam now? Downright rude is what."
"Fine, in that case you can float up to the top of the cavern and then swoop down again. Your new friends can have that long to bugger off, or something. We run a respectable chasm here, no chatting with the victims."
Bob's face fell, he rotated to face Dreth and, incidentally, away from the missus. "Sorry, but I better do as she says. Once she's in this mood there's no talking to her..."
"I am right behind you you know!" interrupted the shrill voice.
Bob made that 'clenched teeth' look all males get at some point or other when dealing with unreasonable spouses. "Look," he continued, "if you turn about you should make it out of our territory before I reach the roof and back. It's probably for the best, you wouldn't make it through the next chamber anyway, and I really don't want to disintegrate you. It always gives me a splitting headache when I do that, which isn't funny when you're basically all head."
Dreth raised a finger. "It isn't really very convenient you know," he started.
"We don't care!" Mrs. Beholder pushed her husband out of the way. "Now, are you going to get going, or do I have to do the job myself?" She glowered at them.
Dreth scowled. He didn't want to have to fight his way through these beasts if he could help it, they had the advantage of terrain if nothing else, but he didn't really want to go back either. He scratched his head.
At his side the black sword whispered to itself. "Kiillllll…." It said.
*A magical creature. They are spherical (ball shaped) with no limbs and float in the air. Beholders have one large eye, and several other smaller ones on eyestalks. They can cast a variety of magics that emanate from these eyes, and are generally not monsters you would want to trifle with.