Role Playing Fan Fiction ❯ The Mines of Maveleth ❯ Chapter 1

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

 

The Mines of  Maveleth

 

Dr Sheldon Cooper, a powerful young Sorcerer, was sitting in the Golden Salamander pub in the village of Goyeta on the edge of dense Samera Woodlands. He was softly smiling to his fiancée, Dr Amelia Farrah Fowler, a Healer, and to his friends, Dr Leonard Hofstadter, a Sorcerer like him though not so brilliant, Penny Black, a half feline thief and Leonard's lover, Howard Wallace, a Hunter, Lady Bernadette Rostenkowska, a Warrior and Howard's lover, Dr Raj Koothrappalli, a wizard of Air and Fire and recently also Earth, and Lord Zorabel Barca, a young noble from Solus and an excellent fencer.

'So the feast was excellent,' Sheldon drawled. 'Howard and Raj got sozzled and danced a fiery dance, as per usual, of course.'

'Hey, we we're great!' Raj protested hotly.

'Oh Yeah, mate,' Howard grinned.

'Oh Raj sweetie, and who fell and had to sleep on the ground afterwards?' Penny smiled broadly. 

'And Howard had to be dragged to our room by Sheldon and Leonard,' Bernie grinned.

'I have to say, Howard mate, for such a short slight fellow you are damn heavy,' Leonard smiled broadly.

'And I had to heal both on the next morning,' Amelia added.

'Yes gentlemen, you both were just brilliant,' Sheldon drawled sarcastically.

'This coming from a man who never had more than two cups of wine at a time!' Howard grinned. 

'Yes, and you both should follow my example,' Sheldon stated.

Raj and Howard just rolled their eyes.

'Yes, the feast was great,' Zorabel smiled gently.

At this point a rather dusty and tired short swarthy young man in a long Green tunic entered the pub, stopped on the threshold, looked around, taking in the surroundings, and then headed for Sheldon's table resolutely. Sheldon looked at him with great interest.

'Dr Sheldon Cooper?' the young man asked him,

'Yes, and who might you be, my good man?' Sheldon asked evenly. 

'I'm Bodeshmun, an envoy to Lord Jacobel of the Hightower, the Legate of Maveleth,' the young man informed him. 'Lord Jacobel heard of your recent victory over the cult of Moloch in the Woodlands of Samera, and he needs your help.'

'And how can we help Lord Jacobel?' Sheldon asked evenly.

'Well, Lord Jacobel recently obtained an old map of a forgotten silver mine,' Bodeshmun explained. 'He wishes that you would investigate the mine, see if there is any silver still in it, and defeat any creatures that may be found in there.'

'All right,' Sheldon said immediately. 'When are we to come?'

'Well, Lord Jacobel fears that the greedy and lawless mining guilds of Maveleth could find this mine first, so as soon as you can,' Bodeshmun informed him.

'Fine, wait while we pack, Master Bodeshmun,' Sheldon told him. Bodeshmun nodded and departed.

'Sheldon, but is this wise?' Leonard asked with concern. 'Maveleth, it's that town of shady wizards and cutthroat mercenaries, not to mention those greedy lawless mining guilds, it's a veritable den of iniquity!'

'Leonard, we are four powerful wizards and four brave and strong warriors, what could we be afraid of?' Sheldon asked emphatically.

'Damn right!' Bernie grinned.

'But...Maveleth...the last town...they say there could be Stygian necromantic creatures in any caves near it,' Raj said fearfully, his large dark eyes wide.

'Raj, you have mastery of three elements out of four now, you can unleash them on these Stygian creatures,' Sheldon reminded him.

Raj nodded slowly.

Amelia smiled proudly at Sheldon, her Fiancé had very strong will and a way with words!

'So, to Maveleth?' Howard grinned.

'Yeah,' Penny grinned broadly.

'Yes, ladies and gentlemen, so let's pack our things, we don't know if we return to Goyeta or go, for example, to Telabyr or some town on the coast,' Sheldon commanded.

His beloved and his friends nodded energetically. They rose all at once and went upstairs to pack their things.

Some time later they returned to the great hall of the Golden Salamander pub, their bags behind their backs. Bodeshmun, who was sitting at a table by the door, rose at seeing them. 

'We are ready, Master Bodeshmun,' Sheldon said resolutely. 'Oh, let me introduce my companions to you! Dr Amelia Farrah Fowler, my fiancée, a Healer, Dr Leonard Hofstadter, a Sorcerer, Miss Penny Black, a half Ubasti thief, Master Howard Wallace, a Hunter, Lady Bernadette Rostenkowska, Dr Raj Koothrappalli, a wizard of Fire, Air and Earth, and Lord Zorabel Barca from Solus.'

'Pleased to meet you, ladies and gentlemen,' Bodeshmun nodded.

And they left the Golden Salamander and walked in the direction of the dark dense Woodlands of Samera.

 

'Where exactly is this Maveleth, Shelly?' Penny asked curiously. 

'On the other side of the Woodlands of Samera, forty miles to the north-east of Goyeta,' Sheldon explained.

'And is it really as scary as Leo says?' Penny frowned.

'Not to persons of our abilities, Penny,' Sheldon smiled gently.

'Oh all right,' Penny smiled broadly.

They trundled through dark dense Samera Woods. Suddenly a huge hairy spider pounced on them from behind huge dark trees. 

'Leonard, Raj, Amy, prepare your spells, Howard, prepare your arrows, Penny, Amy, Zorabel, get your swords ready!' Sheldon commanded. 'Gigantic Spiders are venomous and can throw cobwebs, and they can attack four people at once, so be on guard!'

His beloved and friends nodded briefly. Howard took his longbow from behind his back, took out an arrow from the Quiver of Artemis and notched the arrow. Amy raised her staff. Penny, Bernie ans Zorabel drew their swords. The Gigantic Spider hissed hideously and spat out a huge cobweb that flew in the direction of Sheldon. But Sheldon dodged it swiftly. Then the spider attempted to bite Bernadette with its huge pincers, but Bernadette parried with the blade of her Sword against it's pincers and cut one of the spiders's legs off with her Sword. The spider hissed horribly.

Then Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this spider for five power points!'

The spider hissed awfully. Sheldon smirked.

'You go, Shelly!' Penny cheered. Sheldon smiled proudly.

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash Blezing Sphere on this spider for four power points!'

Huge fiery sphere formed in front of him, flew at the Gigantic Spider and engulfed it in flames. The Spider hissed awfully. When the flames subsided, the Spider was very singed and lacked four legs.

'You go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash Psychic Attack on this Spider for five power points!'

The Spider hissed awfully. Leonard smiled broadly. 

Suddenly a black slender horse charged out of the woods and right at the Gigantic Spider and, rearing, hit the Spider powerfully with its front hooves, crushing two of its remaining legs and part of its belly. The Spider hissed horribly.

Then Amelia whispered something on her staff, and it glowed with Bright white light. Amelia hit the Spider with her staff powerfully, crushing its head. The Spider hissed hideously, thrashing its remaining two legs, and then fell still.

'Wonderful, Amy my dear!' Sheldon smiled tenderly. Amelia embraced him tightly. He leaned to her and kissed her passionately. Amy answered him tenderly.

Penny, Leonard and Zorabel smiled broadly. Howard and Bernie grinned. Raj shed a tear.

The slender black horse just stood there and looked at them calmly.

'Aww, what a cute whinny!' Penny smiled broadly.

Suddenly the black horse's outlines blurred, and in the next moment in the place of the horse was a short slight youth with dark hair in a bob and large dark eyes, in a light blue silk shirt with golden lace collar and cuffs and in wide Green trousers held with a crimson belt with a golden buckle, and in crimson high boots. 

'Why thank you, madam,' he smiled shyly. 

'You are a shape-shifter?' Sheldon asked with great interest.

'Yes,' the youth smiled shyly. 'My name is Lucien Fiore.'

'Dr Sheldon Cooper, pleased to meet you, sir,' Sheldon smiled gently.

'May I join your band?' Lucien asked shyly.

'Hmm,' Sheldon drawled thoughtfully. 'How many other forms you have, Master Fiore?'

'Five,' Lucien replied. 'A cat, a Magical Fox, a Magical Deer and a Magical Horse, and female form.'

'Good, good,' Sheldon said thoughtfully. 'And how many power points you have?'

'Seven,' Lucien answered gently. 

'Excellent, now change your gender,' Sheldon requested.

Lucien's outlines blurred. Sheldon looked at the youth and blinked, 'I see No difference.'

And Raj's large dark eyes widened, and he blurted, 'Hoooly cow!'

Penny grinned, 'Look closer, Shelly!'

Sheldon looked and nodded. 'Good, you are accepted, Master Fiore.'

'Great,' Lucien smiled shyly. 'You know, this is my true form, I used True Form, not Gender Change. I was born Lucy Fiore.'

Raj gasped, his large dark eyes were like saucers now.

'Very well, you are accepted, Miss Fiore,' Sheldon said evenly.

Penny grinned.

And Raj looked at Lucy with his dark soulful eyes and said shyly, 'I'm Dr Raj Koothrappalli, a wizard of Air, Fire and Earth, pleased to meet you, Miss Fiore.'

'Oh, you can call me Lucy,' Lucy smiled gently. 

'All right, Lucy,' Raj smiled shyly.

Penny grinned looking at them.

Bodeshmun, who was hiding in the bushes during the battle and now appeared from them, just stared at them.

'By the way, your beloved is beautiful, Dr Cooper, and so is your sister,' Lucy observed shyly.

'My...sister?' Sheldon frowned gently. 

'The tall blonde Warrior, isn't she your sister?' Lucy frowned gently. 'She calls you Shelly.'

'Oh Athena, No!' Sheldon snorted. 'Penny is certainly like a sister to me, but we were born of different parents!'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Lucy said shyly. 'She's tall and resolute like you, true, she's blonde, but first, a brown haired man can have a blonde sister, and second, women dye their hair.'

'Logic here is correct, conclusions are not,' Sheldon snorted. 'Did it escape your attention that Penny is half Ubasti!?'

'Oh, well, Maybe your mother had a fling with an Ubasti vagabond,' Lucy shrugged her shoulders.

'I will have you know that my mother, Mrs Mira Cooper from Medford, East Wessex, never was unfaithful to my father,' Sheldon retorted.

'Oh all right, I'm sorry,' Lucy ceded.

'Apologies taken,' Sheldon smiled gently. 'Penny Black, my dear friend, is indeed an offspring of an Ubasti vagabond, but her mother lives far away from mine.'

Lucy nodded gently. 

'Oh, meet my fiancée, Dr Amelia Farrah Fowler, a Healer, my best friend, Dr Leonard Hofstadter, Penny's lover, Master Howard Wallace, a Hunter, and his lover Lady Bernadette Rostenkowska, Lord Zorabel Barca from Solus, and Master Bodeshmun, the envoy of the Legate of Maveleth.'

'Maveleth?' Lucy frowned gently. 'You are going to the last town?'

'Yes, the Legate of Maveleth, Lord Jacobel of the Hightower, asked us to investigate a lost silver mine, map of which he has in his possession.'

'Oh all right!' Lucy smiled broadly. 

Sheldon nodded gently.

They walked away.

'Lucy, where are you from?' Raj asked gently.

'From a little town called Gorbio in Provence,' Lucy smiled shyly. 'It's a lovely town, on a mountain top, with little narrow winding streets and stairs, little Bright houses with potted flowers in the windows or by the front doors, with an old castle which is more like a sandstone tower, and a lovely Temple with Statues of Gods in niches painted on the facade very convincingly, Athena and Mars.'

'Oh, that's very nice,' Raj smiled shyly. 'And who are your parents?'

'A tailor and his wife,' Lucy smiled shyly. 'I have one sister, Isabelle. What about you, Raj?'

'Oh, I'm from a village called Koothrappalli, in the Kingdom of Kerala, in Ghat,' Raj smiled shyly. 'My father is a physician, when he found that I have a gift, he sent me to Uruvella University. When  I graduated I started to travel the world, and in my travels I met Howard. Then we came to Princeborough and met Leonard who was studying there. We became friends. And then Leonard saw a Notice on the university billboard, 'Roommate needed, whistlers need not apply.' Leonard applied, he thought that it was a joke about whistlers. Well, it wasn't. Sheldon cannot stand whistling as well as uncleanness or disorder, people sitting in HIS spot, and many other things. But he's very intelligent and he's saved our lives many times. When Sheldon and Leonard graduated, we formed a band of adventurers. Then we met Penny, Leo fell in love with her at first sight and convinced Sheldon to let her join our band. And then we came to Midia and met Amelia and Bernadette, and Sheldon and Howard fell in love with them. Sheldon become betrothed to Amy. That's our story, Lucy.'

Lucy nodded smiling gently.

'Sheldon, and you? You said that you were from East Wessex. What about your family?'

'My parents were rich farmers,' Sheldon replied. 'My mother, Mira, still lives in Medford, and my father, George, was killed by a bobcat when I was 14 and studied at Heidelberg University. I have a twin sister, Mellie, Melissa, she's a barmaid in the Red Lion Inn back in Medford.'

'Oh, I'm so sorry about your father, Sheldon,' Lucy said gently. 

'It's all right,' Sheldon smiled gently.

Lucy nodded smiling shyly. 'So you went to Heidelberg?'

'And also Oxenford, and Princeborough, as Raj said,' Sheldon stated proudly. 'I have five academic degrees, a BA from Oxenford, a BS, MA and a doctorate from Heidelberg and another doctorate from Princeborough.'

'Wow!' Lucy smiled shyly. 'No wonder that you are so powerful!'

'Why thanks,' Sheldon smiled gently.

'And you, Leonard?' Lucy inquired gently.

'Well, I'm from a little town called Hofstetten in the Schwarzwald Highland in the Principality of Furstenberg in Uberwald,' Leonard smiled shyly. 'I'm from a long dynasty of wizards. My father, Dr Alfred Hofstadter, is a prominent healer, and my mother, Dr Bernice Hofstadter, is a sorceress.'

Lucy nodded gently.

'And you, Penny?'

'Well, my mom is a farmer in Leominster, in West Wessex, and my dad was an Ubasti vagabond who once came to her farm,' Penny smiled gently. 'They had great passion, but he longed to travel more, and so he departed. I got from him these cute black ears and tail, and also cunning and Stealth, so I decided to become a thief and left Leominster.'

Lucy nodded smiling shyly.

'And I'm from the old noble family of Rostenkowscy of Dolny Kazimierz, in Polonia,' Bernie grinned.

Lucy nodded gently.

'As for me, I'm from Ely in East Wessex,' Amelia supplied. 'My parents are merchants.'

Lucy nodded smiling shyly.

'Lucy, what colour are your other forms?' Penny asked curiously.

'A black cat, a silver Fox and a red Deer because there are No black Deer,' Lucy smiled shyly.

Penny nodded grinning broadly. 'And how did you happen to be here in Samera Woods on the road from Goyeta to Maveleth?'

'Oh, I was in Maliba, honoured the Tombs of the Midian Queens, and then I decided to explore the mysterious Woodlands of Samera,' Lucy smiled shyly. 'As I can easily turn into a cat or silver Fox,  I can escape most of monsters here easily. But I saw you Fighting that spider, and I decided to help you.'

'Well, thanks,' Sheldon said. 'Not that we wouldn't defeat it without you, but your goodwill is appreciated.'

Leonard, Penny, Howard, Bernie and Raj rolled their eyes. Amelia and Zorabel smiled gently. Lucy smiled shyly.

'And you, how you came to be in these parts?' Lucy asked shyly. 'Were you in Maliba too?'

'No, we were in Goyeta,' Sheldon replied. 'Lord Hasdrubal Eshbelya from Solus asked us to help the inhabitants of Goyeta, as it was plagued by monsters. His mother comes from Goyeta, so that place is dear to his heart.'

'And of course you defeated those monsters,' Lucy smiled gently.

'Well, really it was a cult of Moloch in the Samera Woods,' Sheldon explained. 'They performed infant sacrifices, abducting children from neighbouring villages, and kept in their 'Temple' three Pyrotaurs, one of which escaped and terrorised Goyeta. Well, we defeated the Rogue Pyrotaur, and then we found the cult and defeated it too.'

Lucy nodded, wide eyed.

'And Lord Zorabel, how he came to be with you?' she asked curiously.

'He was in the Same caravan as us when we were going to Maliba,' Sheldon explained. 'He went to honour the royal Tombs like you. He's a great fencer with a Magical heirloom Sword, by the way.'

'Oh really?' Lucy asked in awe.

'Yes, it was blessed by a priest for my ancestor when he was in the Desert Kingdom, Sheldon says it must have been a priestess of Sekhmet the lioness,' Zorabel smiled gently.

Lucy nodded gently.

They walked through the Samera Woods, and when dusk fell they stopped in a glade and lay down to rest.

 

Next day they were walking through the woods, when in a glade a huge hairy boar with long wicked looking tusks charged at them. 

'Juggernaut Boar!' Sheldon said. 'It's very strong and quick, but thank Gods, it's not good at evading and doesn't have enough wits to resist Sorcery! Leonard, Raj, Amy, prepare your spells, Howard, prepare your arrows, Penny, Bernadette, Zorabel, get your swords ready, Lucy, you choose what form to use!'

His beloved and friends nodded briefly. Amy raised her staff, Penny, Bernie ans Zorabel drew their swords, Howard took his longbow from behind his back, took an arrow from his quiver and notched it, Lucy's outlines blurred and the next moment in her place there was a slender red white spotted Deer with slender sharp horns.

'Wow!' Penny exclaimed in awe. The Deer bowed her head gracefully.

The boar charged at Sheldon but he dodged it quickly and chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Juggernaut Boat for five power points!'

The huge boar roared in pain and wiggled erratically. Sheldon smirked.

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on this Juggernaut Boar for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the huge boar, engulfing it in flames. When the flames subsided the boar was very singed and lacked one leg and one eye. 

'You go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Juggernaut Boar for five power points!'

The huge boar roared in pain. Leonard smiled proudly.

Then Lucy charged at the huge boar and speared it with her sharp slender horns in it's side. The boar roared in pain, and Blood gushed from its side. Lucy jumped back.

Then Zorabel charged at the Juggernaut Boar with his Sword and hit it in its chest. It roared awfully and fell to the ground, Blood gushing from its chest.

The Deer's outlines blurred, and again Lucy was standing in her place.

Raj looked at her starry eyed.

'Lucy, you were wonderful!' he cried in awe.

'Oh thank you, Raj,' Lucy smiled shyly.

Raj blushed deeply. Penny smiled broadly looking at him.

Some time later they saw a large clearing in the woods and a town in it. It was rather shambolic, a mix of Midian style square flat roofed Adobe houses, Charybdian grass thatched mud houses, Northern style timbered houses with pointed roofs, and some tall square or round stone towers. Sheldon looked at it critically.

'So this is the last town?' he said dryly. 'Certainly looks like it.'

'Yes, Doctor Sheldon,' Bodeshmun nodded.

'Well, lead us to Lord Jacobel then,' Sheldon requested.

Bodeshmun just nodded. 

'Amy, take my hand, Leonard, Raj, be close to us, Penny, Howard, Bernadette, Zorabel, Lucy, cluster round us please,' Sheldon commanded. 'And be on your guard, everyone!'

Amy took her lover's hand gently. He smiled tenderly to her. Leonard and Raj moved closer to them, Penny, Howard, Bernie, Zorabel and Lucy formed the outer ring around the wizards.

They marched into Maveleth, following Bodeshmun. The dwellers of the last town looked as seedy as Maveleth itself. Wizards in gaudy robes, beefy warriors with swords, Spears, axes and hammers and in mismatched Bright clothes, more aggressive kinds of beastmen such as half naked hairy big boarmen with wicked tusks, dog headed half naked cynocephals, hyena headed hairy half naked Hyenakin, Wolf headed hairy Lycans dressed only in cloaks, entirely naked scaled Lizardians, surly, coarse Dark Satyrs, known as Calibans, and goat headed, hairy Tragos. Sheldon eyed these coarse beastmen with distaste. 

'Some folks they have there,' Penny grinned.

'Yes, the dregs of human society and beastfolk,' Sheldon sniffed.

'Isn't Lord Jacobel afraid to live here?' Penny asked curiously.

'Yes, he is, but he was appointed to Maveleth, and he has good guards,' Bodeshmun replied.

Penny nodded briefly.

Bodeshmun led them though the chaotic maze of little winding streets to a tall white marble tower with conical red roof and narrow arched windows. He approached the thick dark wooden door of the tower and knocked resolutely. When asked, he told who he was and on what business he came, and the door opened. Bodeshmun led Sheldon and his companions up marble winding staircase with finely carved balusters, and into a large room with tall arched windows, Bright fluffy Oriental carpet on the marble floor, some elegant mahogany and ebony little carved tables and benches along the walls and some marble Statues of beautiful ladies and horses by the windows. By one window in an intricately woven chair was sitting a short stocky dark haired middle aged man in a long wide red tunic trimmed with gold. When Bodeshmun led Sheldon and his companions in, the man looked attentively at them.

'Lord Jacobel, this is Dr Sheldon Cooper, his fiancée Dr Amelia Farrah Fowler, a healer, Dr Leonard Hofstadter, a Sorcerer, Dr Raj Koothrappalli, a wizard of air, fire and earth, Lord Zorabel Barca from Solus, Lady Bernadette Rostenkowska, Miss Penny Black, Master Howard Wallace and Miss Lucy Fiore, a shape shifter,' Bodeshmun introduced them.

'You have an impressive band, Dr Cooper,' Lord Jacobel said smiling gently.

'Yes, thank you, Lord Jacobel, we're the best,' Sheldon replied bowing his head. 'We defeated many beasts and wrongdoers together.'

'I'm well aware of that,' Lord Jacobel smiled softly. 'I heard of your latest feat, and I wrote to some friends in Solus who were of very high opinion about you, so I decided to call you to solve my problém.'

'Oh Yes, the forgotten silver mines near Maveleth,' Sheldon nodded calmly. 'If you would give a copy of the map to us, we will investigate the mines for you, Lord Jacobel.'

'Oh, of course,' Lord Jacobel smiled softly, rose, took a small exquisite carved mahogany casket from one table, searched inside it, produced a sheet of papyrus and hanged it to Sheldon. 'I've heard that you have two doctorates, Dr Cooper, I trust you to decipher the map.'

'Actually, I have five degrees, a BA from Oxenford, a BS and MA from Heidelberg and two doctorates, one from Heidelberg and one from Princeborough,' Sheldon informed him. 'I'm sure that I'm fully capable of deciphering this map.'

Sheldon look the map gently and folded it.

'Very well then,' Lord Jacobel nodded smiling softly. 'Do you need anything?'

'No, thanks, we have everything that is needed,' Sheldon said evenly. 

'All right, then, Dr Cooper,' Jacobel nodded briefly. 'Bodeshmun, show our guests out.'

'Yes, Lord Jacobel,' Bodeshmun nodded. 'Follow me, ladies and gentlemen.'

He led Sheldon and his friends out of the tower.

'Master Bodeshmun, what is the most, er, reputable Tavern here?' Sheldon asked evenly.

'That would be the Golden Ram, it's not so seedy as the others,' Bodeshmun replied.

'Well, lead us there, Master Bodeshmun, and then you can be free,' Sheldon requested.

Bodeshmun nodded and led them through the maze of Maveleth streets again. He stopped in a small square where one white, black timbered house with red pointed tiled roof had a Metal sign of gilded ram on it's front.

'All right, thanks, Master Bodeshmun,' Sheldon nodded smiling gently. Bodeshmun bowed and left.

Sheldon headed to a bench by the entrance to the pub and sat down resolutely. Amelia sat down by his side, smiling gently. Leonard, Penny, Howard, Bernie, Raj, Zorabel and Lucy plopped down on the bench near them.

Sheldon unfolded the map and looked at it frowning gently. 

'Well, let's see...Maveleth...woods around it...Mountains to the south..oh, Yes, the mine must be in these Mountains to the south. Howard, look at this, you must memorise the route.'

Howard peered into the map over Sheldon's shoulder, taking the directions in. Then he nodded grinning. 'Done, Sheldon!'

'Excellent,' Sheldon nodded smiling gently.

'And how far is it according to the map?' Penny asked curiously.

'Oh, about twenty miles to the southeast,' Sheldon supplied.

'Good, not too far then,' Penny grinned.

'Oh Yes,' Sheldon nodded smiling gently. 'Well, ladies and gentlemen, let's move, formation as before!'

His fiancée and his friends nodded briefly. Sheldon rose, Amy took his hand gently, Leonard and Raj stood by their side, and Penny, Howard, Zorabel and Lucy around them. 

'And where is the south-east?' Penny asked. 

'There,' Howard pointed his long tanned finger in one direction.

'All right, you heard him, ladies and gentlemen, let's go!' Sheldon commanded. 

Amy smiled gently. Sheldon's friends rolled their eyes. They walked across the square to the little street that was approximately in the direction that Howard pointed.

On their way thorough the meandering streets of Maveleth they met more shady wizards, mercenaries and unfriendly beast folk. They clustered together tightly like a little army. 

As they were almost leaving Maveleth, they met a group of four bulky hairy boarmen dressed only in loin cloths and conical helmets adorned with boar tusks, with swords on their belts and Spears in their hands. The boarmen stopped and looked at Sheldon and his companions, and their little eyes stopped on Penny. One of them, the biggest one, glared at Penny and growled, 'Hey you puny half  Ubasti, what are you doing in Maveleth?'

Penny put her fists against her sides and replied, 'I'm in the band of Sheldon the Black-Gold, a powerful Sorcerer. And what are you doing here, you swine?'

The boarman looked at Sheldon and sneered, 'Him? He looks like a weakling!'

He moved forwards, jeering and brandishing his Spear. 

Sheldon, who was listening to them with a deep frown, at these words threw a scathing glare at the daft boarman.

'Yes, that would be me, foolish swine!' he drawled. 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this boarman for five power points!'

The boarman roared in pain and fell to the ground, motionless.

'So? Anybody else here wants to insult my sister or I?' Sheldon drawled.

Penny was startled at first, but then showed the boarmen her index finger, 'That's right, I'm not just Sheldon's guard, I'm his sister! Take that, you swine!'

One boarman charged at Penny all the Same, but she dodged swiftly. Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these Boarmen for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him, flew at the Boarmen and engulfed two of them in fire. One of them dodged the fiery sphere. When the flames subsided there were only Ashes instead of two Boarmen. The third cast only one look at the pile of Ashes and fled, not looking back.

'Way to go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly. 

Lucy ran to Raj and embraced him tightly. Raj blushed deeply but then leaned to Lucy and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Sheldon and Amy, holding hands, smiled gently at them. Penny, Howard and Bernie grinned. Zorabel smiled softly.

When Raj and Lucy parted for breath, they looked shyly at their friends.

'Well, well, well,' Sheldon drawled. 'It seems our Raj got himself a lover.'

Raj blushed profusely but then took Lucy's hand tenderly and nodded firmly. 

Their friends smiled gently at them.

'But Sheldon, that is not the only bond made today,' Zorabel observed gently.

'What do you mean, Zorabel?' Penny frowned gently.

'Well, by the Midian laws Sheldon and you are now legally brother and sister,' Zorabel explained smiling gently. 'He publicly declared you his sister, and you agreed, that is enough by our laws.'

'Well, I'll be!' Penny shouted, stunned.

'Sheldon, did you know that?' Howard asked, dumbfounded.

'Well, of course I was aware of that law, Howard,' Sheldon drawled. 'And I'm glad that now Penny is my little sister.'

Howard just stared at him. And Penny grinned, 'So you're my big brother now, Shelly? Come here!'

She opened her arms. Sheldon looked at her and reluctantly came into her embrace. She hugged him tightly, grinning broadly. Sheldon sighed, relaxing into his sister's warm embrace.

As Penny released her brother from her embrace, Sheldon looked at his companions. They nodded and resumed their formation, Amy taking Sheldon's hand gently, Raj and Leonard moving to their side and the rest around them, and they left Maveleth.

 

On the edge of Maveleth a tall thin swarthy man in a white linen skirt like loin cloth, a wide round multicolour necklace around his neck and with a long curly black wig on his head approached them and bowed deeply. 'Would you be Dr Sheldon Cooper with company?'

'Why, Yes,' Sheldon replied. 'And who would you be, sir?'

'Oh, I'm Abamakhet, a freelance miner,' the swarthy man answered. 'I've heard that Lord Jacobel of the Hightower asked you to investigate a lost silver mine. I want to assist you in that, and if the mine indeed proves rich, I want to be the one to first work on it, under the patronage of Lord Jacobel, of course.'

'Well, you can accompany us, of course,' Sheldon said evenly. 'But do you fence or wield Missile weapons?'

'Oh No, Doctor Sheldon, I'm just a simple artisan,' Abamakhet shook his head.

'Then I'll advise you not to go into the mine with us, who knows what monsters could be in there,' Sheldon said firmly. 'I have enough knowledge about nature to know silver from other minerals, so when we'll return to the surface I'll let you know if the mine indeed has silver in it.'

'All right, Doctor Sheldon,' Abamakhet nodded briefly. 'Then I'll accompany you to the entrance to the mine and wait for you on the surface.'

'That would be wise,' Sheldon nodded firmly. 'All right, follow us, Master Abamakhet.'

Abamakhet nodded briefly and followed them.

They trundled through the dark dense Samera Woodlands again. In one glade two huge gnarled trees charged at them, thrashing their thick branches wildly.

'Wood Titans!' Sheldon shouted. 'They regenerate two health points per round, they're very strong but not very quick, also they are mindless so sorcery doesn't work against them. Thankfully Leonard and I now have magic wands to fight animates. So Amy, Raj, prepare your spells, Leonard, get your wand ready, Howard, prepare your arrows, Penny, Bernadette,  Zorabel, get your swords ready, Lucy, take such form as you see fit!'

His beloved, sister and friends nodded briefly.

Sheldon took out his Beta Ray Wand out of his pocket and brandished it. Leonard took out his Lighting Wand and brandished it too. Amy raised her staff. Howard took his longbow from behind his back, then took out an arrow from his quiver and notched it. Penny, Bernie and Zorabel drew their swords. Lucy's outlines blurred and the next moment there was a slender black horse in her place.

Sheldon aimed his Wand at one Wood Titan. It emitted a Bright white ray that hit the monstrous tree. It thrashed it's huge branches frantically. Sheldon smirked.

'You go, Shelly!' Penny cheered. Sheldon smiled softly to her.

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these Wood Titens for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere formed in front of them, flew at the Wood Titans and engulfed them in flames. The Wood Titans thrashed their huge branches and croaked wildly. When the flames subsided, both Wood Titans were very singed and lacked many branches.

'Way to go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then one huge tree lurched at Penny but she dodged swiftly.

Then Zorabel charged at one Wood Titan with his Sword and cut it to small pieces. Zorabel smiled proudly.

Then Leonard aimed his Lightning Wand at the remaining Wood Titan. A Bright white lightning emitted from it, flew at the Wood Titan and hit it. It thrashed its huge branches and croaked frantically. Leonard smiled proudly.

Then the Wood Titan charged at Bernadette, but she dodged swiftly and hit the huge tree with her Sword, cutting it in half. It thrashed wildly. Bernie grinned broadly.

Then Amy whispered something on her staff, and it glowed white. Amy brought her staff down on the Wood Titan. It croaked horribly. Amy smiled, satisfied.

Then Lucy charged at the huge tree, reared and beat it into splinters with her hard hooves. When she finished, she waved her tail triumphantly. Then her outlines blurred and she was a human girl again.

Raj ran to Lucy, leaned to her and kissed her soundly. She answered him gently.

Their friends smiled gently looking at them. 

Abamakhet who was hiding in the shrubbery all this time crawled out and let out a deep breath.

'By Thoth, you were amazing!' he exclaimed. 'Those huge trees...'

'Why thanks,' Sheldon said smiling proudly.

They continued their way through the dark dense woods.

'By the way, Dr Hofstadter, what are your intentions towards my sister?' Sheldon asked all of a sudden.

'What?' Leonard gaped.

'You are seeing my sister Penny for six months already, do you intend to marry her?' Sheldon drawled sternly.

Leonard blushed profusely. 'I-I..'

'Well?' Sheldon prompted him sternly in his drawl.

Leonard looked at Sheldon, then at Penny, and then dropped on one knee before her.

'Penelope Black, will you marry me?' he asked her staring into her eyes intently.

'Of course, Leonard dear,' Penny smiled gently.

Leonard rose and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Sheldon looked at them smiling gently. 'Leonard, you shall be an excellent husband for my sister, I could wish for no other lifemate for her.'

'Thank you, Sheldon,' Leonard smiled shyly.

'Oh Shelly sweetie,' Penny smiled broadly and hugged Sheldon. He smiled gently into her embrace.

Their friends smiled gently looking at them.

'So Master Abamakhet, you are a Khettim, I see?' Sheldon asked curiously. 

'Yes, Doctor Sheldon,' Abamakhet nodded softly.

'Oh, your country is lovely and ancient, I've always wished to visit it,' Sheldon said eagerly. 'It's the cradle of magic, including sorcery! I've read wizards, particularly Sorcerers, are much more common in Khet?'

'Yes, that is so,' Abamakhet nodded softly. 'And Sorcerers are much more respected in Khet, they are considered more as highly esteemed scholars and students of human mind than as dangerous Psychic manipulators.'

'As it should be,' Sheldon nodded proudly. 'We Sorcerers are taught how human mind and psyche works, how to meditate to master our emotions, and not to use our powers other than in défense. Of course, there are Sorcerers who are unethical, Maveleth in particular is full of them, but I look at them in disdain, as does Leonard. Of course, if an unethical Sorcerer Attacks me, I would have No qualms against attacking him, and I'm very powerful, I must say.'

Abamakhet nodded softly. 'And Elementalists in Khet can master Light or Darkness as their element, and indeed, most of them choose one of these elements as their secondary element.'

'Ooh, Light as secondery element!' Raj said, starry eyed. 'Sheldon, are there Rings of Light!?'

'Not as far as I know, sorry Raj,' Sheldon said softly.

'It's all right, Sheldon friend,' Raj said gently and sadly.

'There there, Sheldon is here,' Sheldon said, patting him on his back awkwardly.

'Aww, Sheldon sweetie,' Penny smiled gently.

'Abamakhet, and what nome are you from?' Sheldon asked curiously.

'Pstatis, the third nome,' Abamakhet smiled softly.

'Oh, Pstatis,' Sheldon drawled dreamily. 'The place where are found the magnificent Lighthouse of Pstatis and the great Library of Thoth, the city of Thoth, the God of wisdom! So you swear by Thoth not just because you're a craftsman, but also because you're from Pstatis?'

'That's right,' Abamakhet smiled softly.

'Oh, I dream to visit the Library of Thoth, and your fabulous country as a whole!' Sheldon said eagerly.

Abamakhet nodded smiling softly.

'Tell you what, when we finish investigating this mine, I wish to go to Telabyr, the Gate to the Desert, and then to Hawada, the first nome!' Sheldon said resolutely.

'Oh all right,' Penny grinned. 'Maybe I'll meet relatives of my dad in the Desert Kingdom! '

'And I look forward to learning about new magic in Khet,' Leonard said dreamily.

'As do I,' Raj smiled eagerly.

'Desert Kingdom is fascinating,' Howard grinned.

'Yeah,' Bernie grinned too.

'Well, I've been there, I can be your guide,' Lucy smiled shyly.

'Oh really, you've been to Khet?' Raj asked eagerly.

'Oh Yes,' Lucy smiled gently. 'Since I've came to the South in the bottom of a ship in my cat form I've been wandering around Ethiopia, Midia, Khet, even Charybdia, I've seen so many weird and wonderful things!'

'Oh really?' Raj asked starry eyed. 'Tell me more!'

'All right,' Lucy smiled shyly.

And Zorabel just smiled softly and a bit sadly, listening to them.

Lucy told Raj about the Opari, skilled swordsmen and blacksmiths living in mountain fortresses ruled by chiefs, hereditary or chosen by Combat, about Keshite enclaves, remains of mighty Keshite Empire, ruled by kings and sophisticated nobles with long thin faces, high cheekbones and almond shaped eyes, about the black Amazons of Negara, fierce female warriors ruled by Queen Zenobia and worshipping The Sisters, twin Warrior women with one suit of armour, one shield and one Sword between them, the Moon Sister Fighting by night and guarding her sleeping sister, the Sun Sister Fighting by day and guarding her sleeping sister in her turn, Jengu, the Charybdian nymphs among which were Jungle Jengu, Swamp Jengu and Lake Jengu, and Zebrans, Charybdian centaurs with the human half of a Charybdian human  and the equine half of a zebra, honourable nomads who are nevertheless sworn enemies of most other beast folk, and half human Pygmies of the Red Hills, skilled assassins, prisoners and herbalists. She told also about Animists, or witch doctors, Charybdian seers, Healers and exorcists, and Griots, Charybdian poets, musicians, storytellers and keepers of traditions.

'Oh to go there and to see all this!' Raj exclaimed starry eyed.

'I would be glad to be your guide, Raj, and yours also, my friends,' Lucy smiled shyly. 'Though Sorcerers tend to attract mistrust in Charybdia as everywhere, but you, Sheldon and Leonard, seem to be honest enough.'

'Sheldon can be a bit too honest, if you ask me,' Leonard said dryly.

Sheldon snorted indignantly, 'But I only tell truth, Leonard!'

'Which is better left unsaid at times, Sheldon!' Leonard retorted.

Lucy smiled gently looking at them, they quarrelled just like brothers!

Abamakhet smiled softly looking at them.

 

They walked through the dark dense woods till they came to the foothills of the Opar Mountains, smooth and covered in dark Green trees. Sheldon stopped seeing them, took out the map from his pocket and looked at it thoughtfully.

'Aha, there is the cave, supposedly in that hill over there,' he stated, pointing his long pale index finger to a hill in the distance to the left. 'Let's go there, ladies and gentlemen!'

His beloved, his sister, his friends and Abamakhet nodded briefly.

They trotted in the direction of the hill that Sheldon pointed, climbing forested grassy slopes. At last they stopped before a hill that indeed had a cave in it, dark and gaping, with coniferous shrubs clinging to its sides.

Sheldon looked at his beloved Amy, at his sister Penny, at his best friend and future brother in law, Leonard, at his trusted friends Raj, Howard, Bernadette, Lucy and Zorabel, and at the Khettim miner, Abamakhet.

'Now Master Abamakhet, you stay here and wait for us,' Sheldon commanded. 'Amy, my dear, Leonard, Raj, keep close to me. Penny, Howard, Bernadette, Zorabel, encircle us. Lucy, you'll go forwards, use whatever form you see fit to be inconspicuous.'

Lucy nodded, her outlines blurred, and in the next moment there was a lovely silver Fox in her place. 'All right, Sheldon!', she said waving her magnificent fluffy white tipped tail.

Amy took Sheldon's hand gently. Leonard and Raj moved close to them. Penny, Howard, Bernadette and Zorabel formed a ring around the wizards. Lucy jumped into the dark cave, waving her silvery black white tipped tail. Sheldon and Amy stepped into the cave next, their friends following them. Raj whispered something under his breath, and over his head formed a small fiery sphere, lighting up the cave instantly. The cave was rather tall, roughly oval, its walls were yellowish and scaly, with slender stalactites, stalagmites and columns. 

'Wow!' Penny said in awe.

'Yes, it's magnificent, isn't it?' Sheldon smiled softly. 'Caves are fascinating, they are a great work of Nature.'

Penny nodded smiling broadly.

'Well, Master Abamakhet, good afternoon, wait for us!' Sheldon called turning to the entrance of the cave.

'All right, Doctor Sheldon!' Abamakhet called from outside.

Sheldon nodded satisfied and turned around firmly. He marched forwards resolutely, his beloved by his side and their friends around them. Lucy trotted ahead, waving her magnificent fluffy tail.

Some time later the cave opened into a high hall with wonderful rock formations like a tall slender tower or an airy canopy. Sheldon looked around avidly, not forgetting to scrutinise the walls for any signs of silver streaks, but so far he saw none.

Suddenly Lucy stopped and called, 'Danger! Some large Spider like things!'

Sheldon stopped in his tracks instantly, his friends following his suit.

They saw three giant spiders with heads of charming dark haired women, looking at the adventurers with their large dark eyes.

'And who have we here?' one of them teased in a sweet voice. 'Oh, seven humans, an Ubasti and a magic Fox, how lovely! Come, come here!'

'And what the heck is this!?' Penny shouted.

'Daughters of Arachne,' Sheldon explained calmly. 'They can throw cobwebs, and their sting is poisonous, so watch out!'

His fiancée, sister and friends nodded briefly.

One Daughter of Arachne spat out a web and threw it in direction of Raj. But Raj dodged swiftly. Then he chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on those three Daughters of Arachne for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the Daughters of Arachne, engulfing two of them in flames. They screeched horribly. One Spider dodged the fiery sphere. When the flames subsided, the Daughters of Arachne were very singed and lacking some legs. 

Then Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Daughter of Arachne for five power points!' One monstrous Spider screeched horribly and fell to the ground motionless. Sheldon smirked.

Another Daughter of Arachne spat out a cobweb, aiming at Bernadette, but Bernadette dodged quickly. Then Zorabel lurched at the Daughter of Arachne with his Sword and hit it in its neck. The monstrous Spider screeched horribly and dropped to the ground motionless, ichor gushing from it's neck.

Another Daughter of Arachne spat out a cobweb, aiming at Leonard, but he dodged swiftly and chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Daughter of Arachne for five power points!' The monstrous Spider screeched horribly. Leonard smiled grimly.

Then Penny lurched at the Daughter of Arachne with her cinqueda and hit it in its belly. It screeched horribly and ichor gushed from its belly. Penny grinned broadly,

Suddenly Lucy darted from Shadows and slashed at the monstrous Spider's neck with the sharp claws of her front paws. The Daughter of Arachne screeched horribly and fell to the ground motionless, ichor gushing from it's neck. Lucy waved her magnificent tail triumphantly.

'Silver foxes roam around, not caring for red foxes...' Lucy sang gently and explained. 'It's a song widespread among Magical foxes and Fox shape-shifters.'

Sheldon nodded softly, 'Fascinating.'

The silver Fox waved her magnificent tail, then her outlines blurred and Lucy was human again. Raj ran to her and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Amy approached Sheldon and embraced him gently. Sheldon leaned to her and kissed her passionately. Amy answered him hotly.

Penny looked at them smiling gently.

Leonard approached her, leaned to her and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

'So, any silver yet, Shelly?' Penny grinned when they broke their kiss.

'No, unfortunately,' Sheldon shook his head regretfully.

'All right,' Penny nodded gently.

They continued their way through the cave, Raj lighting the way with his fireball.

Some time later they came to a rather low hall with slender white stalactites and stalagmites, when three creatures looking like ugly old crones jumped out at them from the darkness.

'Hags!' Sheldon said. 'They have Psychic gift and can regenerate, but they're not very tough.'

His beloved and friends nodded briefly.

One hag raised her arms and, pointing at Sheldon, croaked, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this wizard for five power points!' But Nothing happened, and Sheldon smirked and chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this hag for five power points!' The hag yelled in pain. Sheldon smirked triumphantly.

Then Zorabel lurched at the hag with his Sword and hit it in the chest. Tehe hag yelled in pain and disappeared.

Then Raj chanted pointing at one hag, 'I Commend the Hends of Stone to appear and seize this heg!'

Instantly two giant stone hands emerged from the floor of the cave and gripped the hag tightly. She shrieked indignantly but couldn't do anything. Raj smiled broadly.

'You go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this hag for five power points!' The hag shrieked in pain but there was Nothing it could do. Leonard smirked,

Then Howard who already had his longbow in his hands and an arrow notched, aimed at the hag leisurely and let his arrow loose. His arrow whizzed through the air and hit the hag in one eye. It shrieked horribly. Howard smirked.

Then Amy whispered something on her staff, and it glowed white. Amy ran to the hag and brought her staff down on the hag's head. The hag shrieked horribly and disappeared. Amy smiled grimly.

The remaining hag raised her hands, pointing at Penny, and chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Warrior for five power points!' But Penny smiled broadly, 'Nothing! In your Face, you ugly!'

Bernie lurched at the hag with her Sword and hit it in the side. The hag shrieked horribly. Bernadette grinned. 

Then Penny lurched at the hag with her cinqueda and hit her in it's belly. The hag shrieked horribly. Penny grinned.

Then Lucy lurched at the hag with her short Sword that she drew from her side, and hit it in its side. The hag shrieked horribly. 

Then Zorabel lurched at the hag with his Sword again and slashed its throat. It shrieked horribly and disappeared. Zorabel smiled gently.

Sheldon leaned to Amy and kissed her tenderly. She answered him gently.

Howard ran to Bernadette and kissed her soundly. She answered him passionately.

Leonard embraced Penny tenderly and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Raj leaned to Lucy shyly and kissed her gently. She answered him as gently.

Zorabel smiled sadly looking at the four loving couples.

When Sheldon and Amy broke for breath, Sheldon said resolutely, 'All right, people, now we all are officially spent and need to rest. Let's make camp right here!'

'No objections whatsoever,' Leonard said dryly. Others nodded emphatically.

They lay down on the cave floor, putting their cloaks, coats or doublets under them.

'Good night, ladies and gentlemen, good night, my beloved, good night, Penny,' Sheldon smiled gently, settling on his black and gold woollen doublet.

'Good night, Shelly,' Penny smiled, curling into a ball.

'Good night, Sheldon, my love,' Amelia said settling on her Cardigan near her fiancé.

Next morning Sheldon yawned and opened his eyes, saw his lovely fiancée by his side, his sister not far away, near her Fiancé and his best friend, and the rest of his loyal companions around.

'Good morning, my beloved, good morning, Penny, Leonard, Raj, Howard, Bernadette, Lucy, Zorabel,' he called loudly.

'What the!?' Penny shouted. 'Sheldon!'

'Good morning, Sheldon,' Leonard said rolling his eyes.

'Good morning, my love,' Amy smiled gently.

''Good morning,' Raj said, yawning, and whispered something. A small fiery sphere appeared over his head, lighting the cave up. 

Everyone rose and dressed.

'No silver yet, Shelly?' Penny asked smiling gently.

'Regretfully no,' Sheldon sighed. 'All right, people, let's move on!'

They nodded and got into the usual formation. Lucy's outlines blurred, and in the next moment there was a black cat in her place. She waved her tail and ran forwards. Sheldon, Amy, Penny and their friends followed her.

Some time later they entered a very high hall with beautiful rock formations. They looked around, as if spellbound. Suddenly three huge white red eyed Minotaurs charged at them.

'Albinotaurs,' Sheldon said calmly. 'Strong but not very quick or magic resistant.'

His beloved, sister and friends nodded briefly. Howard took his longbow from behind his back, took an arrow from his quiver and notched it. Penny, Bernadette and Zorabel drew their swords. Amy raised her staff. Lucy ran quickly behind the albinotaurs.

Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these three albinotaurs for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the three albinotaurs. Two of them were engulfed by fire, roaring awfully, the third dodged the fireball. When the flames subsided the two albinotaurs were very singed, one had a charred stump instead of right arm, another lacked left arm.

Then Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this albinotaur for five power points!' The albinotaur that lacked left arm roared awfully and dropped to the cave floor, motionless. Sheldon smirked.

Then Zorabel lurched with his Sword at the second singed albinotaur and hit it in its chest. It dropped to the cave floor, motionless.

The third albinotaur lurched at Penny but she dodged swiftly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this albinotaur for five power points!' The albinotaur roared horribly. Leonard smiled triumphantly.

'You go, Leo dear!' Penny cheered. Leonard smiled shyly.

Then Howard aimed at the albinotaur leisurely and let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air and hit the albinotaur in its side. Albinotaur roared awfully.Howard grinned.

Then Bernadette lurched at the albinotaur with her Sword and slashed its neck. The albinotaur roared horribly and fell to the cave floor motionless, Blood gushing from it's neck. Bernie grinned.

Amy embraced Sheldon. He leaned to her and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly,

Howard embraced Bernadette and kissed her soundly. She answered him passionately.

Penny embraced Leonard. He kissed her gently and she answered him passionately.

And Lucy darted to Raj and rubbed against his legs, purring. He smiled tenderly and petted her gently.

They continued their way through the caves, Lucy running ahead of them and Raj lighting their way with his fireball. 

'Still No silver whatsoever,' Sheldon grumbled. 'Maybe the map is a fake?'

'Or the mine is already worked out,' Howard supplied.

'Perhaps,' Sheldon nodded thoughtfully. 'Not a bad idea for a Hunter!'

'Why thanks Sheldon,' Howard rolled his eyes.

'Not at all,' Sheldon replied dryly.

'Shelly, and when you decided to become my sworn brother?' Penny asked curiously.

'When Lucy called you my sister and it dawned on me that all we lack to be brother and sister is some ceremony,' Sheldon smiled softly. 'Not that I didn't consider you my dear friend before, but not quite in such terms.'

'Shelly, for such a gifted Sorcerer you can be so slow on the uptake,' Penny smiled fondly.

'Well, we were taught to control our emotions, because with such powers as mine one can't give to impulses,' Sheldon confessed sheepishly. 'It's necessary, but it has it's downsides.'

'Yeah, such as not admitting that you're in love until you're prompted to do it by your beloved, or not admitting that you practically have a sister until a stranger points this to you,' Penny grinned.

'Yeah,' Sheldon smiled gently. 'Errare humanum est, my lil' sis.'

Penny smiled fondly and opened her arms. Sheldon came into her warm embrace and sighed softly.

 

They continued to walk through the cave, and Sheldon was frowning more and more because he couldn't detect even a slightest trace of silver. Suddenly the cave came to in a dead end.

'Well, that's it,' Leonard sighed. 'Now we only have to return to Lord Jacobel and to tell him that there is No silver in that cave whatsoever, only monsters and a worked out mine here. And we'll likely get very little for our troubles.'

'Oh Leo honey, we'll find some other job,' Penny said gently, caressing Leonard's hair. Leonard sighed and smiled shyly to her.

'Oh No, wait a bit,' Sheldon raised his hand. He tapped the wall they came to. There was a hollow sound. 'It's not a dead end, ladies and gentlemen, it's a hidden door. Penny, find the hidden door and open it please!'

Penny grinned broadly and started to explore the wall with her nimble fingers. She grinned triumphantly as she found a seam in the wall, outlining a rather small and low door. Penny continued to explore the door and found a depression in the door. Penny felt a pattern in the depression, recesses and raised bits. She started pressing the raised bits in various patterns. Her brother and friends looked anxiously at her. At last something clicked, and the stone slab moved and disappeared in a recess in the wall to its left side. Penny took a leather ball from her bag and threw it through the doorway powerfully. It landed securely on the other side. Penny sighed with relief, such hidden doors were often trapped with flames appearing suddenly, or huge metal spikes rising from the floor or ceiling, or a deep pit just behind the door.

'All right, people, coast is clear,' Penny grinned. 'We can go inside!'

Lucy nodded and slid through the doorway first. She waved her tail from the other side. Then Howard and Bernadette came through, they were short enough not to Bow their heads in doing so. They grinned and waved to their friends. Leonard bowed a bit getting through. He waved and smiled gently to his friends. 

Sheldon, Amy, Penny, Raj and Zorabel looked at each other. Then Sheldon bowed his be back resolutely and got through the doorway. He held his hand to his fiancée, smiling gently. Amy bowed and got through the doorway and took her beloved's hand. Then Penny bowed gracefully and got through. Zorabel followed her.

Raj was still standing on the other side, his large dark eyes even bigger with fear. 

'Come on, Raj sweetie!' Penny called grinning broadly. Raj nodded resolutely and got through the doorway.

'All right, ladies and gentlemen, we are going into uncharted territory, be even more careful than before!' Sheldon commanded. His beloved, sister and friends nodded briefly.

They continued to walk in the usual formation, Lucy running ahead and Raj lighting their way. The cave they were in now was decidedly more creepy than the abandoned mine. Its walls were covered with slime and cobwebs, and there were slimy fungi and lichens on it's floor.

Sheldon grimaced, 'Now that's an awful place, not at all like that lovely cave we previously were in!'

'You tell me,' Leonard said dryly.

'Yes, that's precisely what I'm telling, Leonard,' Sheldon retorted.

Leonard rolled his eyes.

The cave widened into a high hall covered in cobwebs, slime, slimy fungi and lichens. And suddenly three pitch black Minotaurs charged at Sheldon and his companions from the Shadows. 

'Stygian Minotaurs,' Sheldon said through clenched teeth. 'Minotaurs bred in the Stygian Empire, blind but with very sharp senses. Fortunately they're not very quick.'

His fiancée, sister and friends nodded briefly. Amy raised her staff. Penny, Bernie and Zorabel drew their swords. Howard took his longbow from behind his back, took an arrow from his quiver and notched it.

One Stygian Minotaur lurched at Howard but he dodged swiftly. 

Then Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Stygian Minotaur for five power points!' The huge black minotaur roared horribly. Sheldon smirked.

Then Zorabel lurched at the Stygian Minotaur with his Sword and hit it in the chest. The Stygian Minotaur dropped to the floor, motionless, Blood gushing from it's chest.

Another huge black minotaur lurched at Raj but he dodged swiftly and chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these two Stygian Minotaurs for four power points!' A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the two huge black Minotaurs and engulfed them in flames. They roared horribly. When the flames subsided both Stygian Minotaurs were very singed, one of them lacked right arm and another left arm, an ear and a horn.

'Way to go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Stygian Minotaur for five power points!'

The huge black minotaur roared horribly and dropped to the floor, motionless. Leonard smiled broadly. 

Then Howard aimed at the remaining Stygian Minotaur leisurely and let his arrow loose. It whizzed  through the air and hit the huge black minotaur in its side. It roared awfully. Howard grinned.

Then Amy whispered something on her staff, and it glowed white. Amy lurched at the Stygian Minotaur and brought her staff down on its head. It roared awfully and dripped to the cave floor motionless. Amy smiled grimly.

Sheldon leaned to Amelia and kissed her gently. She answered him passionately.

Bernadette ran to Howard and embraced him. Howard leaned to her and kissed her soundly. She answered him hotly.

Lucy the black cat appeared from the Shadows, her outlines blurred, and she was human again. Raj leaned to her and kissed her shyly. She answered him tenderly.

'All right, people, we need to rest now,' Sheldon commanded. His fiancée, sister and friends nodded hotly.

They walked away from the dead Stygian Minotaurs and sat down on the cave floor.

'So this is a Stygian outpost!' Raj blurted out.

'Yes, unfortunately,' Sheldon said grimly. 'And now we need to clear it of the Stygian monsters. Penny, Howard, you'll be sentinels while we sleep. Later you can sleep and Bernadette with Zorabel will guard us in turn.'

Penny and Howard nodded grinning.

Sheldon removed his doublet and lay down on it on the cave floor. Leonard removed his long wide woollen cloak and lay down on it. Raj removed his wide Green coat and lay down on it. Lucy curled in a ball Oh the cave floor. All three were sound asleep soon, Sheldon and Lucy snoring softly.

Amy, Penny, Howard, Bernie and Zorabel sat there looking at their sleeping lovers and friends, smiling gently.

'My brilliant fool,' Amy smiled softly.

'And mine,' Penny grinned.

'And those two shy powerhouses,' Bernie smiled broadly.

They looked at each other and nodded.

'Penny, say, let's play 'Would you rather'?' Bernadette grinned.

'All right,' Penny nodded grinning. 'You in, Amy?'

'Oh, of course!' the tall healer said eagerly.

'All right, Penny, would you rather never meet the relatives of your father or Leo?' Bernie grinned.

'My dad's family, easily,' Penny grinned. Bernie nodded.

'All right, then you, Amy, would you rather never meet Sheldon or never be his lover?' Penny asked. 'As in, you're just friends.'

Amy frowned. 'Never be his lover. I love him, and even if we are just friends, I'll be glad just to be at his side, talk with him, see his clear intelligent eyes, his tall slender figure...'

'All right, all right, we get it,' Penny grinned. 'Now you, Amy, ask one of us.'

Amelia frowned gently. 'All right, Benio, would you rather never meet Penny or Howard?'

Bernie frowned deeply. 'Well, if I never knew Penny I would get into a fight with Sheldon and his friends then. But, but, if I knew Penny and Howard wasn't in their band...'

'So what?' Amy prompted.

'I would risk never knowing you, Lopo, sorry,' Bernadette concluded.

'It's all right, Benio,' Penny smiled. 'Love is important.'

'Thanks, my love,' Howard grinned and kissed Bernie tenderly. She answered him passionately.

'But Sheldon said he would cast an illusion of crawling spiders on you, and you said you would draw your Sword in answer,' Amelia reminded to Bernie. 

'Well, I'm sure that Leonard or Howard would get between us and Stop us,' Bernie grinned.

'Maybe,' Penny grinned.

Amy looked at them doubtfully but nodded gently.

 Zorabel smiled sadly looking at them.

 

Next morning they continued their way through the Stygian caves. Raj was lighting their way with his fireball, and Lucy was in her Magical Deer form, her slender hooves clinking on the cave dalo or.  Sheldon sniffed with disapproval at the look of the caves. The cave widened into another slimy hall, and suddenly three sickly mangy unicorns charged at them from the Shadows. 

'Malacorns,' Sheldon observed. 'Unicorns warped by foul Stygian magic. They aren't very strong, but they are very fast. And they drain life energy with their horn.'

And indeed, one Malacorn darted at Howard and touched his arm with its sharp horn before Howard could react. Howard cursed.

But then Raj chanted, 'I Commend the Hends of Stone to appear and to seize this Malacorn!'

Giant stone hands appeared from the cave floor and seized one Malacorn. It bellowed horribly but couldn't move, the stone hands held it tightly.

Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Malacorn for five power points!' 

The Malacorn that wounded Howard bellowed horribly. Then Bernadette lurched at it with her Sword and hit it in its chest. It bellowed horribly and dropped to the cave floor, motionless. Bernie grinned.

Then another Malacorn that wasn't held by the stone hands charged at Sheldon, but Sheldon dodged its horn swiftly. Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Malacorn for five power points!' The Malacorn bellowed horribly. Leonard nodded gently.

Then Lucy charged at the Malacorn and speared it with her sharp slender horns in its chest. It bellowed horribly and dropped to the cave floor, motionless.

Then Zorabel lurched at the Malacorn held by the stone hands with his Sword and hit it in it's side. It bellowed horribly. Zorabel nodded, satisfied.

Then Howard who as usual had his longbow already in his hands and an arrow notched, aimed at the Malacorn leisurely and let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air and hit the Malacorn in its eye. The Malacorn bellowed horribly and went still. The stone hands immediately dropped it onto the cave floor where it lay motionless.

'Howard, let me heal you,' Amelia said gently. Howard nodded grinning.

Amelia walked to him and lay her hands on his chest. 'Oh Asclepius Almighty, I implore you to heal Howard Wallace!'

Bright white light emitted from her hands and went into Howard. Howard sighed deeply. 'Thank you, Amelia, I feel much better now!' he grinned.

'Don't mention it, Howard, it's my duty as a Healer,' Amy smiled softly.

Howard nodded grinning.

Amy meanwhile walked to Sheldon and embraced him. He leaned to her and kissed her gently. Amy answered him tenderly.

Bernie ran to Howard and embraced him. He kissed her soundly and she answered him passionately.

And Penny ran to Leonard and embraced him. He kissed her gently, and she answered him passionately.

And Raj walked to the Magical Deer and petted its red spotted coat, smiling gently. Lucy muzzled his neck affectionately.

'Raj is my name, Air, Fire and Earth are my game!' Raj declared smiling gently. 'And rhymes are also my game, which means I have two games...'

Penny smiled broadly to him.

'Raj, and how do you learn stuff like this?' she asked curiously. 'Well, I know that it's an inborn talent, but how do you learn to control it, I mean, you don't know to how to control it from birth, right?'

Lucy turned her head to them attentively.

'Well, of course not,' Raj smiled shyly. 'When I was four, I was upset and accidentally set a tree on fire. That's how my parents knew I had the gift to control elements. Then my father taught me breathing exercises so I didn't get upset so easily. And then he sent me to Uruvella University, it's an ancient university in Ghat. There I learned meditation, to control my emotions better still. Not that it always worked, but at least I caused No major accidents. I chose fire as my primary element and air as my secondery one, because these two are very powerful. It was hard to create fireballs at first, I won't lie to you. 'Now Koothrappalli, find enough flemmable air in this yard to create a Blezing Sphere one inch in diameter.' And this flemmable air, I must tell you, is fairly rare in the atmosphere. Well, once one uses the power that's stored in a kind of reservoir below one's navel, called the cinnabar field, to bring enough molecules of the flemmable air into one place before oneself to form a ball one inch in diameter, one hastens the movement of the molecules of the flemmable air enough that it gets into a reaction with the oxygen in the air. The flash point of this flemmable air is very low, and you can easily ignite it. And it can give enough heat to burn anything, wood or flesh. Once one learns to make such a small fireball, one is taught to increase it's size gradually, until one gets a Blezing Sphere big enough to burn a fairly large creature. 'Well, Koothrappalli, you made the Blezing Sphere, now try to control it. Imagine it flying towards this log, quickly, and to slam into it at full speed.' One does that, and the log catches fire, and burns very quickly, only Ashes remain. To control air is much easier than to control fire, one just has to move the masses of nitrogen and oxygen molecules to make a strong wind. Once one learns to move the molecules of air, one can find the molecules of the flemmable air in the mass of air and gather them together. The Same is with earth and air, one just has to gather and move the masses of molecules. But to gather enough water for, say, the Fist of the Sea, one has to be near a body of water at least twenty feet across. I recall when the teacher in Uruvella put a Ring of Earth on my finger and I was taught to call the Hends of Stone, and Guru Anand told me, 'Excellent, Koothrappalli, fine Hends of Stone! Now if you receive a Ring of Earth as a reward, you will know how to use it!' And now just look at me!'

Raj raised his right hand, the Ring of Earth gleaming on his long slender brown index finger.

'Yes, sweetie,' Penny smiled broadly.

'And this thanks to my wise Command,' Sheldon smiled softly.

'Sure sweetie,' Penny smiled broadly. 'Shelly, tell me, and how people like you learn to do the stuff you do?'

'Well, there are just a few people like me, but if you mean how one masters Sorcery, I'll be glad to enlighten you, Penny,' Sheldon smiled softly. 'I first used my powers when I was lying in my cradle and a bird suddenly sat on it. I was very frightened, naturally, but then I suddenly imagined a cat running to the bird, and the bird took off at once and left. I didn't quite understand what I did then, as I was just two years old. But later, when I grew, I felt that I could use some force inside of me to conceal myself from the bullies or dogs, or to confuse them so they won't attack me. Since then I wasn't afraid of birds, dogs or bullies, since you don't fear what you can control. But I didn't tell anyone about my powers. Well, one day a nasty little vixen named Bobbie Wickham, the daughter of our neighbours, picked on me. I was nine, and she was only six, and she was a girl, and a gentleman can't raise his hand against a Lady. But this Bobbie Wickham really terrorised me, she waited for me on every corner and hit me. She was very quick, and hit me before I could conceal myself and she wasn't easily confused. And one day I had enough. When Bobbie came for me next time, I imagined a bobcat in front of her. Well, that worked! That bloody Wickham brat ran away screaming in terror! I smirked, that taught her a lesson! But Bobbie ran to her mother and told her that 'that weird Cooper boy' summoned a bobcat to attack her!'

'Uh-Oh,' Penny said grimacing.

'Yes, quite,' Sheldon sighed. 'Well, her mother, Brenda Wickham, a real virago, went to quarrel with my mum about 'her poor little girl'. My parents tried to tell that Wickham woman that her Bobbie just tried to put all the blame on me, but Brenda swore that her little girl was terrified. Then my parents called me, and I told them the truth, that the bobcat was only an illusion, that I couldn't suffer the bullying of Bobbie Wickham any more. Well, thank Athena that my mother knew enough about Sorcerers to understand what I was. And she told the Wickham woman that it served her brat right that she provoked a young Sorcerer, and that she will do good to think whom to pick on next. And then my mom called me aside and told me that I had a gift, one that is powerful but dangerous, and asked me if I ever used it other than in defense. I told her indignantly that of course I didn't. Then she nodded smiling gently, and told me that I have the potential to become a great hero or a king's adviser, but I have to go to Oxenford to learn how to use my powers properly. It would cost big money, she said, but thank Gods they were rich enough to afford it. Well, since that day Bobbie Wickham avoided me like a plague. And when I was just eleven my parents send me to Oxenford. I missed them terribly, but there was so much to learn at Oxenford! I studied anatomy, to understand what parts of the brain control what, so that now I knew that I had to use my power to project any image into anyone's visual center, or to put into it an image of an empty space instead of my person, or to just confuse the visual center. I also knew that I only have to use my power to damage the motor center to make anyone to act haphazardly, and I knew that I have to use my power to damage the medulla oblongata to kill anyone. But of course I was also emphatically taught that I only can wound or kill anyone if my life is in danger, and I was taught to control my emotions, my limbic system, so as to not wound anyone accidentally, or worse. Thank Gods my parents already taught me to be a gentleman, but these things can't be emphasised enough. Well, you know the rest. I got my Bachelor's degree in Oxenford and went on to get my other four degrees, and in Princeborough I met my best friend and future brother in law Leonard and his two friends that became mine friends also, and Howard had the Bright idea that we should become adventurers, and that we became.'

Penny listened to Sheldon smiling broadly.

'All right, sweetie,' she nodded gently. 'And do you Sorcerers also get your power from that cinnabar field?'

'Well, of course, Penny,' Sheldon replied. 'And the more experienced the wizard becomes, the more powerful the cinnabar field grows.'

Penny nodded smiling broadly.

'And what happened with Bobbie Wickham, Shelly?' she asked curiously.

'Oh, she got married to a blacksmith, and only such a person used to burns and heat can stand that vixen,' Sheldon smiled gently

Penny nodded grinning.

'Well, people, enough rest, time to move!' Sheldon commanded. His fiancée, sister and friends nodded briefly, and they continued on their way.

The cave widened into another large slimy hall. Suddenly from the Shadows darted four bat winged sinister scaly horses. 

'And what in the blazes is that!?' Penny shouted.

'Hippodracs,' Sheldon supplied. 'Not very quick or strong, but they have rather good defense, and they breathe fire, so be careful!'

'Oh thanks,' Penny said rolling her eyes.

But Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Hippodrac for five power points!' One Hippodrac bellowed horribly and dropped to the cave floor. Bernadette darted to it and hit it in its eye with her Sword. The Hippodrac bellowed horribly and fell still. Bernie grinned.

Then one Hippodrac breathed a jet of fire in the direction of Raj, but Raj dodged swiftly and chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these three Hippodracs for four power points!'

A huge fiery sphere appeared in front of him and flew at the Hippodracs. Two of them were engulfed in fire, one dodged the fireball. Two Hippodracs bellowed horribly and fell on the cave floor, very singed. Third Hippodrac breathed fire in the direction of Howard, but Howard dodged it quickly.

Howard who already had his longbow in his hands and his arrow notched, aimed leisurely at the eye of the one of the fallen Hippodracs and let his arrow loose. His arrow whizzed through the air and hit the Hippodrac right in the eye. The Hippodrac bellowed horribly and fell still. Howard grinned.

Then Penny lurched at another fallen Hippodrac and hit it with her cinqueda in one eye. It bellowed horribly and fell still. Penny grinned.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Hippodrac for five power points!' 

The remaining Hippodrac bellowed horribly and fell onto the cave floor. Leonard nodded resolutely.

Then Lucy galloped to the Hippodrac and speared it in one eye with her sharp slender horn. The Hippodracs bellowed horribly and fell still.

Then the Magical Deer's outlines blurred, and Lucy was human again. Raj leaned to her and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Amy embraced Sheldon, he leaned to her and kissed her gently. She answered him passionately.

Leonard embraced Penny and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly,

And Howard leaned to Bernie and kissed her soundly. She answered him passionately.

And Zorabel just smiled sadly.

'Well, we're spent now, let's go and rest,' Sheldon commanded.

'Of course, sweetie,' Penny grinned. 

Amy, Leonard, Howard, Bernie, Raj, Lucy and Zorabel nodded briefly.

They left the hall and found a small relatively cozy hall, where Sheldon, Leonard, Raj and Lucy lay down on the cave floor, and Amy, Howard, Bernie and Zorabel sat down near them, Howard and Bernie taking the first watch.

 

Next morning they continued their journey, Raj lighting their way and Lucy taking her Magical Horse form. They trundled along the slimy corridors. Then they entered another high slimy hall, and suddenly out of the Shadows slithered two giant serpents looking like cobras.

'Stygian Serpents,' Sheldon supplied. 'Not very quick, not very strong either, but they are poisonous and regenerate two health points per round, so don't let them bite you and let's try not to give them a chance to regenerate!'

His fiancée, sister and friends nodded briefly.

Sheldon changed in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Stygian Serpent for five power points!' One of the Stygian Serpents hissed horribly. Sheldon smirked.

Then Howard who already had his longbow in his hands and an arrow notched, aimed leisurely at the Stygian Serpent and let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air and hit the Stygian Serpent in one eye. It hissed horribly. Howard grinned.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Stygian Serpent for five power points!' Another Stygian Serpent hissed horribly. Leonard smiled triumphantly.

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these two Stygian Serpents for four power points!' 

A huge fiery sphere appeared in front of him, flew to the two Stygian Serpents and engulfed them in flames. The Stygian Serpents hissed horribly, and when the flames subsided, there were only Ashes instead of one serpent, and another was very singed.

'You go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Amy whispered something on her staff, and it glowed white. Amy brought her staff down on the head of the remaining Stygian Serpent. It hissed horribly and dropped onto the cave floor, motionless. Amy smiled triumphantly.

Sheldon embraced Amy and kissed her gently. She answered him passionately.

Penny ran to Leonard and embraced him. Leonard kissed her gently, and she answered him tenderly.

Bernie embraced Howard, and he kissed her soundly. She answered him passionately.

And Raj walked to the black slender horse and petted her silken black coat and mane. Lucy neighed gently. 

They continued their way through the slimy caves.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I feel that the last battle is approaching,' Sheldon declared. 'Soon we shall meet the Stygian Lord who owns this outpost, and they are always accompanied by some Skeletons and Stygian hounds. And we will likely meet some archfiends too, and they are very tough. So be ready.'

'Just great,' Leonard said dryly.

'Well, what did you expect, Leonard, Ostern bunnies?' Sheldon retorted.

'No, of course not,' Leonard sighed. 'We have to clear this foul den once and for all, we can't have Stygian necromancers invading our beloved Midia!'

'Damn right,' Penny grinned.

'That's the spirit,' Sheldon nodded, satisfied.

'But when we clear it, what shall we do with this cave?' Bernadette asked frowning. 'What will prevent another Stygian Lord from settling here again?'

'Well, Bernadette, wizards of fire have one very potent spell called Volcanic Destruction,' Sheldon informed her. 'And it does exactly what its name says. It makes a volcanic eruption that lasts for the number of rounds equal to the Elementalist's gift. But the center of the eruption can't be more than twenty feet from the Elementalist, so he takes up to twelve health points of damage. This is to prevent the misuse of this spell, so Elementalists use it in battle rarely. But if we get outside and Raj casts the Volcanic Destruction on the entrance to this cave, then the cave would be sealed nearly forever. And Amy can heal Raj immediately.'

'Yes,' Amy nodded calmly.

'Well, if I have to...' Raj grimaced.

'Yes, Raj, I believe this is necessary,' Sheldon said firmly.

Raj sighed and nodded resolutely. 'All right then.'

'But first we have to deal with the Stygian Lord and his pet beasties,' Howard grinned.

'Yes,' Zorabel nodded quietly. 'So help us Gods!'

Sheldon, Amy, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Bernie, Raj and Lucy nodded resolutely.

Some time later they entered a very high slimy hall, and saw a tall thin man in wide black robes, black crested helmet with a visor that covered his Face and with a black breastplate on his chest, and with a black red plumed Spear in his right hand. He was accompanied by three Skeletons with swords and two creepy skeletal hounds.

'Here they are,' Sheldon murmured. 'Stygian Lords have a Psychic gift and they are able to drain life energy, and they are very quick but not very strong. Skeletons aren't very strong or quick, and Stygian Hounds are quick but not very strong.'

His beloved, sister and friends nodded briefly. Amy raised her staff, Penny, Bernie and Zorabel drew their swords. Howard took his longbow from behind his back, took an arrow from his quiver and notched it. 

'Who are you and what are you doing here!?' the Stygian Lord boomed.

'We are heroes come to destroy this snake nest, and who in the blazes are you!?' Sheldon retorted.

'I'm Lord Draug!' the Stygian Lord boomed. 'Beware, pathetic mortals!'

'You beware, foolish necromancer!' Sheldon drawled. 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on Lord Draug of Stygia for five power points!'

Lord Draug yelled in pain. Sheldon smirked.

Lord Draug chanted, pointing at Sheldon, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this wizard for five power points!' But Sheldon just smirked triumphantly.

'Skeletons, Hounds, attack these humans!' Lord Draug commanded, and the Skeletons and Stygian Hounds charged at Sheldon and his companions. One Stygian Hound tried to bite Bernadette, but she parried with her Sword. Another Stygian Hound lurched at Raj but he dodged swiftly. One Skeleton attacked Amy but she parried with her staff.

Zorabel charged with his Sword at Lord Draug and hit him in his neck. Lord Draug yelled horribly and fell onto the cave floor, Blood gushing from his neck. Zorabel smiled grimly.

Then Leonard aimed his Lightning Wand on one of the Stygian Hounds. A lighting flew from it and hit the skeletal hound, which crumpled to the cave floor in a heap of bones immediately. Leonard smiled triumphantly.

'You go, Leo dear!' Penny cheered. Leonard smiled shyly.

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these three Skeletons for four power points!'. A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the three Skeletons. One dodged the fureba

fireball and other two were engulfed in flames. When the flames subsided there were only Ashes in their place.

'Way to go, Raj sweetie!' Penny cheered. Raj smiled shyly.

Then Penny lurched at the remaining skeleton with her cinqueda and cut off its right arm and right leg. The skeleton dropped to the cave floor. Penny grinned. Lucy darted to the fallen Skeleton and hammered it with her heavy hooves into smithereens. Lucy waved her tail merrily.

Then Bernie lurched at the remaining Stygian Hound with her Sword and cut its spine in two. The back half of the Stygian Hound dropped to the cave floor. Bernie grinned. The front half still stood and opened its mouth ominously. But Amy whispered something on her staff, and it glowed Bright white. Then Amy brought her staff down on the front half of the skeletal hound powerfully. The skeletal hound dropped to the cave floor in a pile of bones. Amy smiled triumphantly.

Sheldon leaned to Amy and kissed her gently. She answered him tenderly.

Leonard embraced Penny and kissed her gently. She answered him passionately.

Howard kissed Bernadette soundly, she answered him passionately.

 And the slender black horse's outlines blurred, and Lucy was human again. Raj kissed her gently, she answered him tenderly.

'Well, we defeated the Stygian Lord, so now, I think, there is just one or two battles before us,' Sheldon observed. 'It will be strenuous, for our adversaries would be infernal archfiends, creatures summoned by Stygian necromancers from the Abyss, one of the Nether planes. They are very strong and quick and can regenerate.'

'Just great,' Penny said dryly.

'Well, it's the last obstacle, Penny, it has to be very hard,' Sheldon observed dryly.

Penny nodded briefly.

They walked some more and entered a high slimy hall. And suddenly two horrible beings charged on them from the Shadows. One was like a cross between a minotaur and a giant bat, with bat wings, elongated head with sharp horns, muscular humanoid body covered in Shaggy hair, and long sharp claws on humanoid hands and feet. Another was a gray skinned bat winged female humanoid twelve feet tall, with dishevelled long blue hair in a ponytail, in a long wide black dress and with a long sharp Spear in her hands.

'A Balotaur and a Hellazon, just great,' Sheldon murmured. 'Both quick and strong, and can fly and regenerate, and both clever too.'

'Well, I can help with that,' Raj smiled gently and chanted, 'Hends of Stone, I Command you to appear and to seize this Balotaur and this Hellazon!'

Two pairs of giant stone hands emerged from the cave floor and seized the fiends before they could react. Raj smiled triumphantly.

Sheldon chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Balotaur for five power points!' The Balotaur roared horribly. Sheldon smirked.

Zorabel charged at the Balotaur with his Sword and hit it in it's side. The Balotaur roared horribly.

Then Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Hellazon for five power points!' The Hellazon yelled horribly. Leonard smiled grimly.

Howard, who already had his longbow in his hands and an arrow notched, aimed leisurely at the Balotaur and let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air and hit the Balotaur in one eye. It roared horribly. Howard grinned.

Then Penny lurched at the Balotaur with her cinqueda and hit it in its belly. It roared horribly. Penny grinned.

Meanwhile the Hellazon tried to hit Amy with her Spear but Amy dodged swiftly and brought her staff on the Hellazon's head. The Hellazon yelled horribly. Amelia smiled grimly.

Bernadette lurched at the Balotaur with her Sword and hit in its chest. The Balotaur roared horribly and fell still, Blood gushing from it's chest. The stone hands dropped the dead Balotaur immediately, and it fell onto the cave floor.

Then Lucy hammered the Hellazon with her heavy hooves. The Hellazon yelled horribly, Blood gushing from her wounds. Lucy waved her tail energetically. 

The Hellazon tried to hit Zorabel with her Spear, but Zorabel dodged swiftly and hit her in her side with his Sword. The Hellazon yelled horribly. 

Then Lucy brought her heavy hooves down on the Hellazon's head. The Hellazon yelled horribly and fell still, Blood gushing from her head. The stone hands disappeared immediately, and the dead Hellazon fell onto the cave floor. Lucy waved her tail enthusiastically.

'Whew,' Penny breathed out. 'Nasty beasties these, thank Artemis that it's all over!'

'Indeed,' Sheldon said dryly.

Amy embraced Sheldon. Sheldon kissed her gently, and she answered him tenderly.

Penny embraced Leonard, he kissed her gently, and she answered him passionately.

Howard kissed Bernadette soundly, and she answered him tenderly.

Raj caressed Lucy's soft black fur and mane, she neighed gently.

Now what?' Penny asked frowning. 

'Now we return all the way back to the surface, seal the cave, return to Maveleth and tell the Legate that the mine is worked out but there was a Stygian outpost in it but we cleared it,' Sheldon said evenly. 'Then we'll see what reward Lord Jacobel gives us, and leave for Telabyr and for Hawada.'

Penny nodded, so did Amelia, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Bernadette and Lucy. And Zorabel just smiled sadly. Sheldon frowned, 'What's the matter, Zorabel? I noticed that you smile sadly a lot lately.'

Zorabel sighed, 'Sorry, my friends, but I won't go to Telabyr with you.'

'What!?' Penny blurted out. 'But why!?'

'Because I can't go to the Desert Kingdom with you, I have obligations before my family,' Zorabel smiled sadly. 

'I understand, Zorabel, you're from an old aristocratic family, your parents and other relatives put a lot of hopes in you,' Sheldon sighed. 'I bet they expect you to become a great general or statesman, to marry a noble damsel, isn't that right?'

'Yes, unfortunately, and I'm not as courageous as Bernadette to leave all this behind,' Zorabel sighed.

Sheldon nodded gravely. 'Well, I hope you will attain greatness on your own way.'

'Thank you, Sheldon,' Zorabel smiled sadly.

'But you won't leave right now, right?' Penny asked hopefully.

'No, of course not, I will go to Maveleth with you,' Zorabel smiled sadly.

'Well, that's great,' Penny grinned. Sheldon just nodded softly. 

They walked back through all the caves in silence.

In the first hall Sheldon looked around, sighed and said, 'Well, we need to rest, I, Leonard, Raj and Lucy spent our powers, and who knows what awaits us in Maveleth, on the way there or on the way to Telabyr.'

His fiancée, his sister and friends nodded. Sheldon removed his doublet and lay down on it on the cave floor. Leonard removed his cloak and lay down on it. Raj lay down on his coat, and Lucy's outlines blurred, she turned human again and curled on the cave floor. Amy, Penny, Howard, Bernie and Zorabel sat on the cave floor near them.

 

Next morning Sheldon yawned and opened his eyes, 'Good morning, my beloved, good morning, lil' sis, good morning, Leonard, Howard, Raj, Bernadette, Lucy, Zorabel!'

'Good morning, Sheldon my love,' Amy smiled gently.

'Good morning Shelly,' Penny grinned.

'Good morning Sheldon my friend,' Leonard smiled gently.

'Good morning, Sheldon!' Howard and Bernadette grinned.

'Good morning,' Raj smiled gently.

'Good morning Sheldon,' Lucy smiled shyly.

'Good morning friends,' Zorabel smiled sadly.

'Now let's get moving, ladies and gentlemen,' Sheldon commanded.

They rose from the cave floor, sighing. Lucy's outlines blurred and she turned into a black cat. They left the cave. 

'Raj,' Sheldon prompted as they stood outside the dark mouth of the cave in some distance from it so as not to be swept into the explosion.

Raj sighed nodding and walked to the brim of the cave and chanted, 'I cast Volcanic Destruction on the mouth of this cave for six power points!'

And fiery lava erupted from the ground, pouring into the cave mouth and down the hillside, sealing the cave mouth. Raj was on the brink of the eruption, and a fiery spurt flew at him, burning his hand  and his neck. Raj cursed, 'Oh holy Ganesh, it hurts!'

'Oh Raj sweetie,' Penny grimaced.

Raj looked at her resolutely, 'It's all right, Penny, I have to do it.'

Penny nodded compassionately.

In a few moments the lava ceased to flow, and there was a gray bumpy stone slide instead of the cave mouth. Raj nodded sighing, and walked to Amelia.

'Now would you please heal me, Amelia?' Raj asked gently.

Amelia winced looking at him. His neck and left hand were raw red with black singe marks. Amelia put her hand on his shoulder and chanted, 'Oh Asclepius Almighty, I implore you to heal Doctor Raj Koothrappalli!'

Her hand glowed white, and the glow spread to Raj. When the glow faded, Raj's neck and hand were his usual caramel brown if a bit too pink. Raj smiled shyly, 'Thank you, Amelia!'

'It's my duty as a healer, Raj,' Amy smiled softly. 'You are a very brave man.'

'Oh thank you Amelia,' Raj said shyly, blushing deeply.

'You were great, Raj sweetie,' Penny grinned. Raj smiled shyly.

'Well, let's go to Maveleth, ladies and gentlemen!' Sheldon commanded.

His beloved, sister and friends nodded, and they walked away among the foothills of Opar Mountains.

Suddenly a band of eight charged on them from the shrubbery, four Boarmen and four Cynocephals.

'Damn!' Penny shouted.

But Sheldon was calm and composed as always, and he chanted in his drawl, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Boarman for five power points!' One Boarman roared horribly and dropped to the ground, motionless. 

Zorabel charged at one of the Cynocephals with his Sword and hit it in the chest. The Cynocephal yelped horribly and dripped to the ground, Blood gushing from its chest.

Leonard chanted, 'I unleash a Psychic Attack on this Boarman for five power points!' Another Boarman roared horribly and dropped to the ground, motionless.

Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on these Boarmen for four power points!' A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the two remaining Boarmen, engulfing them in flames. They roared horribly, and when the flames subsided, there was just a pile of Ashes in place of the Boarmen.

Then one of the Cynocephals tried to attack Bernie but she dodged swiftly and hit it in the side with her Sword. The Cynocephal yelped horribly, Blood gushing from its side. Then Amy brought her staff down on the Cynocephal's head, it yelped horribly and dropped to the ground, motionless.

Another Cynocephal tried to attack Penny, but she dodged swiftly and hit it with her cinqueda in its side. It yelped horribly, Blood gushing from it's side. Then Howard who already had his longbow in his hands and an arrow notched, aimed leisurely at the Cynocephal and let his arrow loose. It whizzed through the air and hit the Cynocephal in one eye. It yelped horribly and dropped onto the ground, motionless. 

Then Raj chanted, 'I unleash a Blezing Sphere on this Cynocephal for four power points!' A huge fiery sphere formed in front of him and flew at the Cynocephal, engulfing it in fire. The Cynocephal yelped horribly. When the flames subsided there was only a pile of Ashes in the place of the Cynocephal.

Suddenly something rushed through the shrubbery. Lucy darted there, her fur all raised, making her look like a black ball. She disappeared inside the shrubbery, there was a loud yell and a thud. 

'Leonard, Howard, Penny, follow me, quickly!' Sheldon commanded and darted into the shrubbery. Howard, Leonard and Penny followed him. When they entered the shrubbery they saw Abamakhet lying on the ground and Lucy sitting on his chest in a black fur ball, threatening him with her long black clawed front paws. Sheldon commanded, 'Howard, aim at him! Penny, your Sword to his throat! Leonard, be ready to cast spells at him!'

Howard aimed leisurely at Abamakhet's head. Penny darted to Abamakhet  and put her cinqueda at his throat. Leonard crossed his arms on his chest, staring at the Khettim intently.

Abamakhet gulped fearfully.

Sheldon cleared his throat, 'Now, Master Abamakhet, tell me why did you sic these brutes on us?'

Abamakhet was silent.

'Howard,' Sheldon commanded. 'If he doesn't tell anything in a minute, shoot him!'

Howard grinned and started to draw his bowstring.

'Well?' Sheldon drawled.

'Oh well,' Abamakhet sighed. 'I'm not a freelance miner really, I work for the mining guilds of Maveleth. And they're not interested in Lord Zorabel knowing about the new mine.'

'Fool,' Sheldon sneered. 'There was No silver in that mine, only a Stygian outpost that we cleared. And we sealed the cave, so now there is No mine there either. Did you really think that we won't defeat those pathetic scum?'

'I did,' Abamakhet sighed. 'Now I see that I underestimated you.'

'Dashed right,' Sheldon smirked. 'Now Master Abamakhet of Pstatis, I Command you not to tell anyone about this conversation or about what was in that mine, and to go immediately to Maveleth and find the next caravan destined for one of the coastal cities and to leave Maveleth with it!'

Abamakhet nodded, his eyes glassy.

'Penny, Lucy, release him, Howard, Leonard, keep eye on him for some time,' Sheldon commanded.

Lucy leapt off Abamakhet's chest and sat aside, still like a black furball. Penny removed her Sword from Abamakhet's throat but didn't sheathe it. Howard stood with his Bow aimed at Abamakhet, and Leonard still stared intently at the Khettim. Abamakhet jumped to his feet, shook his head and ran away.

'What a scumbag!' Penny snorted indignantly.

'Indeed,' Sheldon said dryly.

They returned to the clearing. Amy, Bernadette, Raj and Zorabel looked expectantly at them. 

'That slug Abamakhet was an agent of the Maveleth mining guilds,' Penny sighed. 'Sheldon commanded him not to tell anyone anything about the mine and to leave for one of the coastal cities with the next caravan.'

Their friends nodded sadly. 

'So what, Sheldon, you still want to go to the Desert Kingdom?' Leonard asked grinning.

'Of course, Leonard,' Sheldon said dryly. 'I don't judge entire people based on one person!'

'Good then,' Leonard grinned.

They continued their way to Maveleth.

 

They got to Maveleth without much incidents, and found Lord Jacobel's residence. Sheldon knocked the ring of the door knocker on the great door firmly. 

'Yes, who is it?' a malé voice asked.

'This is Dr Sheldon Cooper with company, tell Lord Jacobel that we fulfilled his request,' Sheldon said resolutely.

The door opened, and a burly middle aged man in a blue tunic told them, 'Lord Jacobel awaits you, Doctor Sheldon, please go upstairs to his study.'

Sheldon nodded firmly. They went to Lord Jacobel's study.

Lord Jacobel was sitting in his woven chair. When he saw Sheldon, his beloved, sister and friends, he looked attentively at them.

'Well, Doctor Sheldon, what news you bring me?'

Sheldon sighed. 'Well, Lord Jacobel, there is No silver in that mine. And what's even worse, there was a Stygian outpost in that cave. But don't worry, we cleared it and sealed the cave.'

Lord Jacobel looked at him frowning deeply.

'A Stygian outpost? Well, thank you very much for getting rid of it! Of course, I'm disappointed that there was No silver in that mine. Oh well,' he sighed. 'I'll have to find other ways of increasing my influence. And you certainly deserve a reward. What reward you wish?'

'Thank you, Lord Jacobel,' Sheldon said. 'I wish a Spear of Athena for Penny, a Sword of Ruse for Bernadette and six good camels.'

Lord Jacobel looked attentively at him.

'All right. But why six camels, Doctor Sheldon?' he asked curiously.

'Well, I don't trust the local caravaneers,' Sheldon explained. 'One camel for each of us except Raj who will ride on Lucy's back in her horse form, and Zorabel who won't go with us as we're leaving for Telabyr and then Desert Kingdom and Zorabel doesn't want to leave Midia.'

Lord Jacobel looked at him attentively and nodded.

'Very good, Doctor Sheldon, my servants shall bring your reward to you later this day,' he informed Sheldon. 'Where can they find you?'

'By the Golden Ram Tavern,' Sheldon replied.

Lord Jacobel nodded briefly. 'Very well, Doctor Sheldon, your reward will be brought to you there.'

 

Sheldon, Amy, Penny, Leonard, Howard, Bernadette, Raj, Lucy and Zorabel left Lord Jacobel's tower. They came to the square where the Golden Ram Tavern was and sat down on a bench by the Tavern's door. They waited for Lord Jacobel's envoy. Some time later they saw a tall slender swarthy youth in a red tunic, with a long parcel in his hands and with six camels in tow. He approached them and asked politely, 'Doctor Sheldon Cooper with associates?'

'Yes,' Sheldon answered immediately. 

The envoy nodded, 'Then take this please, Doctor Sheldon, a Spear of Athena, a Sword of Ruse and your camels.'

'Thank you, my good man,' Sheldon nodded briefly, stood up and took the long parcel and the camels' bridles from the envoy's hands. The envoy nodded, smiled politely, and departed.

Sheldon unwrapped the parcel. Inside was a Spear with red and gold diagonally striped pole ending in a golden owl, and a short Sword with golden hilt inset with a large amethyst in its pommel. Sheldon handed the Spear to Penny and the Sword to Bernadette. Penny gripped her Spear and shook it, grinning. Bernadette made a feint with her new Sword and grinned too.

'So Shelly, what does my new Spear do?' Penny asked curiously. 'And Bernie's new Sword too!'

'Well, the Spear of Athena does additional damage equal to your skill bonus, Penny,' Sheldon explained smiling softly. 'And the Sword of Ruse adds your wits score to the force of your Mêlée attack, Bernie.'

'That's great,' Penny grinned broadly.

'Oh Yeah,' Bernie nodded grinning broadly.

Zorabel sighed, 'Well, goodbye, my friends, good luck and godspeed to you!'

'Goodbye, Zorabel,' Sheldon smiled softly. 'I wish you the best good luck in the world.'

'Goodbye, Zorabel sweetie,' Penny grinned.

'Goodbye, Zorabel, we'll remember you,' Leonard said softly.

'Alvida, Zorabel, you're in my heart,' Raj said, tears in his eyes.

'Goodbye, Zorabel, I wish you great success in your life,' Amy smiled softly.

'Goodbye, Zorabel mate, all the best to you,' Howard grinned.

'Goodbye, Zorabel, and good luck to you,' Bernie grinned.

And Lucy waved her tail gently, her yellow eyes Shining.

'When I'll hear of a great Suffet or general called Zorabel Barca, I will know that it's you, Zorabel my friend,' Sheldon smiled softly.

Zorabel smiled sadly to them, bowed and left quietly.

Sheldon, Amy, Leonard, Penny, Howard, Bernie, Raj and Lucy looked sadly after him and sighed.

'So, just eight of us now, huh?' Leonard sighed.

'Yes, and we are going to the Desert Kingdom!' Sheldon said beaming.

'Yeah,' Penny grinned.

'Speaking of which, I'm going to ride on Lucy's back!?' Raj exclaimed blushing deeply. 'We didn't have intercourse yet, and she's going to feel my private parts on her back??'

'Raj, relax, you are wearing thick trousers and wide braies, she's not going to feel anything,' Sheldon said calmly.

'Oh, all right then,' Raj breathed a sigh of relief.

Penny grinned at them.

Lucy's outlines blurred, and she became a raven slender horse instead of a black yellow eyed cat.

Sheldon rose and patted the hump of one camel gently. It knelt and lay on it's belly. Sheldon threw one leg over its back and lowered himself on its rug covered hump. Sheldon smiled triumphantly. Then he tugged on the camel's bridle, and it rose to its feet, Sheldon holding fast to his saddle while it was rising. Penny, Howard, Amy and Bernadette mounted their camels easily. Leonard patted the hump of the Sixth camel gently. It lay on it's belly. Leonard threw one leg over the camel's back and lowered himself on its hump. Then Leonard tugged on the camel's bridle, and it rose to its feet, Leonard holding tightly to his saddle while it was rising. And Lucy knelt and waved her tail. Raj threw one leg over her back and alighted himself onto her back. Then Lucy rose to her feet smoothly and waved her tail.

'So, my friends, to Telabyr!' Sheldon commanded smiling softly.

His fiancée, sister and friends nodded resolutely. 

Sheldon nudged the camel with his shins, and it moved forwards smoothly, rocking like a ship. Leonard, Penny, Amy, Howard and Bernadette followed Sheldon's example. And Raj said gently, 'Well, Lucy, my love, let's go!' Lucy waved her tail and started trotting forwards. 

And soon they left Maveleth and headed across reddish Midian steppes to the north-east.