Multiple Reasons for Trouble (2/2)

“I recognize the walls. This is the danger room for Dungeon Delving 101,” Graves said, glancing around. “Parts of it, anyway. It's been rearranged and expanded. Be careful, watch your step!”

But no sooner had he said that than Threadbare found the tripwire the hard way. He really didn't have an excuse, either. The wire that was at shin level to a human caught him straight in the face, and bounced him back a foot.

Fortunately the blade that scythed out of the corridor next to him was well above his height, and it whistled by harmlessly.

That gave the team pause. But another shout rang out of the darkness ahead, and Graaves cursed. “Give me a moment,” he said, and drew out a bag of marbles. “Glow Gleam!”

The bag glowed, and when he opened it and threw the marbles out into the darkness, the glow transferred and split between the tiny orbs.

It revealed quite a few things.

Firstly, that the tunnel they'd descended opened up and turned into a proper cavern, with stalactites and stalagmites and other things that ended in -ite.

Secondly, that there were tripwires strewn all over the place, ranging from a latticework at foot level, to a few nasty looking ones at head level, and a few crazy diagonal ones zig-zagging between stalactites and stalagmites.

Thirdly, that there were a whole bunch of wooden mannequins crowding around a pair of figures defending one of the exits out of the cavern.

And fourthly, (as the marbles rolled closer,) that the two figures were quite familiar.

One, wearing a full-face helm with a glowing red visor, was Proctor Tane. He wore no other armor, and he wielded a saber two handed, battering back the wooden foes as they swung at him with wooden swords, stabbed at him with wooden knives, and snapped at him with wooden teeth.

The other figure, frantically waving its arms and summoning tiny, pointy-hatted figures made of stone out of the rock floor, was Daffodil Copperfield.

The stone gnomes were holding their own against the current group of mannequins, but as Threadbare and his friends watched, more dropped from the ceiling, rattling on the floor around the two defenders.

“We have to help them!” the Mousewife squeaked.

“Gift for stating the obvious,” Graves muttered, and Threadbare was glad she didn't seem to notice that. It seemed rather rude. Then Graves raised his voice. “Can't cross the floor without setting off the traps, but we don't have to. Same tactic as the Mimic Mimic fight?”

“Oh, that would work!” Threadbare nodded. He focused his will on one of the enemies and stated, “Command Mannequin, work for me! Invite Mannequin to party!”

The other two joined in the recitation. These were made of slightly sterner stuff than the Mimic Mimics, and the Mousewife failed her spells a few times, but in the space of moments they had turned the bulk of the mannequins to their side and used them to knock the uncontrolled animi to pieces.

After a few confused bellows back and forth, Tane and Copperfield understood what was going on, and fell back into a full defense, focusing their ire and steel on the few that strayed out of the tangle of wood and savagery that was the Mannequin murder pile.

Finally when the dust had cleared, and the trio of friends had picked their way through and around the triplines to stand before the two rescued men, Tane pulled off his helmet in a shower of sweat, his hair matted and his breath coming in great heaves.

“This is all your... fault somehow... isn't it?” he gasped, glaring down at Threadbare.

“I don't think so, but I can't discount the possibility,” Threadbare replied. “Have you seen the children?”

“Yeah. They're safe for the moment but we can't reach them,” Daffodil said, as his stone gnomes sunk back into the ground. Which was a pity, but Threadbare knew that was a Conjuror trick, and Conjurors had access to all sorts of powerful summoned monsters... but none of them lasted that long.

“How are you doing?” Daffodil asked, drawing a wooden hand across his face, before he caught the gesture and put his hand down, embarassed.

Threadbare shook his head. “There's nothing here we couldn't handle, but it's been a bit draining. Fortunately whoever's doing this is using animi, and we're all animators.”

“Great,” Tane groused. “Can you animate your way through an obvious deathtrap? Because that's what we'll need to save the children without burning them to scrap and ashes...”