Epilogue..........

Roland slumped against the cavern wall and let out a heavy sigh. He wiped the sweat from his brow and slowly took in the scene.

The poor patrons of the Wayward Inn lay about in various states of decay and dismemberment. The warrior was off retrieving proof of their work. She was probably going to have to remove his head to return as proof. That seemed a bit extreme, but necessary. It would be easier than dragging his corpse back as proof.

His right arm burned fiercely. The herbs that had been applied had staunched the blood; but he was almost certain that those hideous gnawing rat things were full of some plague or disease. One of them had latched onto him viciously. He would get it tended to when they returned to town. It should be fine until then.

Roland lowered his arm and noticed the state of his once pristine robes. A gift from the academy and his mentor the green silken robes were now a mess of brownish colors and dark red. The brown was a mix of spider innards, mud and goblin filth. The dark red could have been his own dried blood or that of some goblins and the walking dead he dispatched. The gold  trim was torn in several places, probably from spears and a few arrows. He also noticed a few patches of burnt material. How could have forgotten the chain lightning that was tossed at them. Lousy hedge wizard, calling himself a necromancer. He was nothing but a novice with a spell book beyond his scope.

The spell book! How could he have forgotten!

“Did you find a book?” he yelled to the warrior.

“No there is no book on him. He did have this though.”

The severed head of the man known as Kevin landed at his feet. Roland stepped back from the disgusting object. He gave the laughing warrior a look of disgust. Typical for their kind, no respect.

If the spell book wasn’t here then were was it? Gods help them if it was in the hands of another wizard. A competent and experienced wizard. If so, then what they faced today would be just a taste of things to come.