by Elliott Kay
The thought turned his eyes to his own hands. The glow from Lawrence’s declaration and his blade seemed to have vanished. Scars saw no trace of it now. Several explanations came to mind, but they all seemed too hopeful. He couldn’t do anything about it now, anyway.
Scars turned back to follow the path. The gate crept shut behind him, closing up with a final mechanical thud, and then stood silent. The sound brought him no sense of solace or finality as he followed the others into the caverns.
Chapter Eleven
The touch of dwarven craftsmanship grew lighter as they descended into the Tor Rathad, but it never fully disappeared. Paths through rough areas never grew too steep or too winding for easy passage. Patches could be seen in the occasional crack in the road. Most telling of all, some glowstones still shone brightly in sconces attached to the natural rock walls of the cavern trails. Here and there, they survived in abundance to fully light the way, while others served only as a beacon in the darkness.
Wildlife within the caverns marked an even greater difference between the dwarven hold and the Tor Rathad. Death and undeath ruled the lower reaches of the hold, snuffing out everything, large or small. Shortly out of sight from the gate, the group found the first mushrooms and bugs they’d seen in their escape. Skittering rodents and the flutter of bats’ wings turned up not long after.
Another new sound appeared before the group had even caught their breath: “Is that a river?” asked Yargol.
“Coming up on one, yeah,” said DigDig. “Around the bend. Have to cross a bridge. Strong bridge, not like before in the mines. Masonry.”
“Was all this originally dug by water?” asked Teryn. “Was this an underground river, too?”
“Don’t know. Don’t think so,” DigDig answered. “Maybe.”
“Maybe it was all dug with magic shovels,” said War Cloud.
DigDig looked back over his shoulder with a wide-eyed grin. “Hey, you think?”
“The dwarves say they were born of the earth and stone. Their myths portray the existence of the underground realm as a gift from their gods made solely for them,” said Yargol. “The goblin folk have much the same tradition.”
“We do?” asked Shady Tooth.
“Certainly there’s always variation. Goblin folk don’t share a consistent religious education. Common threads exist, at least.”
“Whatever. We have bigger concerns,” she said. “Where are we going now? DigDig, how far have you gone on these paths? Where are you taking us? And what should we be on the lookout for? Traps, predators?”
“Not this close to the gate from what I’ve seen,” said DigDig. “Going to a waterfall up ahead in a crevice past the bridge. Plenty of room to climb. Not too high. Mostly space, not water, good handholds. You bigger types won’t even have to squeeze through. Could throw down a rope, too.”
“So we’ll be strung out one by one again?” asked War Cloud. He threw Scars a wary glance. “I’d rather we stick together.”
“So would I,” said Scars. Walking a step behind, Teryn looked from War Cloud to Scars and bit her lip.
DigDig shrugged. “Could keep going on the dwarf road, too. Don’t know it, but roads go places. Maybe it takes us longer and farther, but we might get to another old post before long. Can probably find a break to the surface there.”
“You don’t know what lies beyond that way?” asked Yargol.
“Never went far past the bridge or the waterfall. Didn’t want to be gone too long.”
“Dwarf roads aren’t abandoned like the stronghold. Sooner or later we’ll run into dwarves. Living dwarves who won’t be any friendlier to us than the dead,” said Shady Tooth.
The river grew louder as they came to a bend in the underground trail. Water trickled steadily along while staying out of sight. Rocks and shadows concealed it right up to the bend itself, where it broke free and ran parallel to the trail, soon separating the cavern into opposite banks. The feeling of moisture in the air came on almost as suddenly as the sight of the water.
As promised, a nearby bridge spanned the full length of the river. Concrete pilings and metal girders ensured stability even after all these centuries. Moss and algae covered up the carvings and decorations, muting its former glory.
“Haven’t seen the river this high before,” said DigDig. “Channel goes deep. Usually doesn’t come up this high on the bridge.”
“The snowcaps are melting fast this year,” said Shady Tooth. She walked at the front with DigDig, stepping onto the bridge. No traps or opposition lay in sight. Her shoulders relaxed. She walked taller. The tension of her stride throughout the journey became all the more noticeable as it fell away. She wasn’t the only one to feel a sense of relief…though it was not unanimous.
“There’s something I need to tell you all,” said Teryn. Her eyes fell to the bridge masonry at her feet. “I hope you can understand why I didn’t tell you from the start. To be honest, I didn’t know if I would have need, but I’d rather you hear it from me first…” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I’m—”
“Princess Teryn!” bellowed a strong voice from the riverbank behind them.
She stopped cold. Her eyes turned to the ceiling as she seethed. “Fuck.”
“Princess?” asked Shady Tooth.
“Yeah, this is awkward,” Teryn sighed.
“You’re a princess?” Shady Tooth repeated. “These assholes came here to rescue you, didn’t they? That’s what this is all about?”
“Well…” she winced.
“Princess Teryn!” repeated the paladin. The party of adventurers walked with purpose, weapons drawn and faces wary, though they did not break into a charge. The paladin led the way, his armor dented, stained with blood, and smudged with soot like the rest of his allies. Sacks of loot bounced on their hips and backpacks hung from their shoulders. Though they flung some of their plunder down at the foot of the bridge, their posture suggested a different sort of burden. Even without the extra bags, the party stood with heavy breath and shoulders sagged as if weary from battle.
“By order of His Majesty, King Dostin, you are charged with treason, sedition, assault, theft, murder, incitement to war, and attempted regicide. Surrender now and you will be brought back to your father peacefully for judgment,” demanded Lawrence.
Teryn rolled her eyes. “It wasn’t regicide. Prince Leonden isn’t a king yet.”
“Wait, what?” Shady Tooth blurted.
“Leonden? Of the Kingdom of Velic?” Yargol asked.
“I know I said was a bandit, but that’s not entirely accurate,” Teryn admitted. “I’m more of a political insurgent.”
“Monsters,” Lawrence continued, pointing to the others with his blade. “Release her and you will be shown mercy. Harm her and you will all die.”
“Whoa! What happened to the clean sweep?” hissed the elven woman behind him.
“Guess that depends on your definition of mercy,” grumbled the dwarf.
“Kiana, Rothgar, hush,” warned the cleric. “Let him handle this part.”
“Do I look like a prisoner to you?” Teryn held out her bow in one hand and an arrow in the other.
“An enchantment over her mind would likely have ended by now,” conceded the wizard standing behind the paladin. Like the rest, she stayed at the foot of the bridge. “Yet there’s only one way to be sure.” With a dramatic, snapping flourish, she waved out both of her hands in a gesture of magic.
Everyone on the bridge drew their weapons and braced to meet a charge. It didn’t come. The wizard’s spell caused nothing more than a brief, almost dull shimmer around Teryn. “What was that?” asked Scars.
“A dispelling effect,” said Yargol. “A work of counter-magic, but aimed against nothing.”
At the foot of the bridge, the wizard scowled. “He’s right. There’s nothing to dispel. She’s with them of her own choice.”
“That’s fine,” said Rothgar. “We fought our way here to find her. We can fight through these losers, too.”
“What was Zuck’s plan in holding you?” Scars asked Teryn, never taking his eyes off the party at the foot of the bridge. “What did he want out of it? Ransom? A bargaining chip with the king?”
“He hadn’t really gotten around to telling me his plans,” she answered. “We never talked much even when he was part of the court.”
“Insurance seems more likely,” said Yargol. “Whatever his plan, it didn’t work out for him.”
“So who is Prince Leonden?” asked Shady Tooth.
“An asshole from White Rock my father wanted me to marry. Neither of them would take no for an answer. I tried a dagger in his gut instead.”
Lawrence blinked in surprise. He wasn’t alone. “So you admit your crime?” asked the cleric beside him.
At that, Shady Tooth straightened from her combat-ready crouch to stand partly in front of Teryn. “She told him no.”
“With a knife?” asked Rothgar.
“Do you think a woman skips straight to knives without reason?” Shady Tooth countered.
“Well, actually…” began Geoffrey.
“Fuck off,” said Shady Tooth. Her eyes flicked to Mishael and Kiana. “And you two should know better.”
“Like I’m gonna take this kind of lecturing from a bugbear?” Kiana scowled.
“Do you have any idea what the king is truly like?” asked Teryn. “Look at you: a wizard, an elf, a cleric of light, a paladin—”
“Alleged paladin,” snorted War Cloud.
“—have you seen how the people suffer? Did you think even once about the order to drive out all of the orcs and goblin folk? Or did you merely see a reward note on a poster and never consider the source? Or the truth? You haven’t even asked me anything about it, and I’m right here.”
The cleric glanced to his companions. The dwarf shrugged. “There are two sides to every story, but only one of them gets us paid here.”
“You’re not taking anyone from my crew,” said Shady Tooth.
Her words drew a glance from Scars, but he knew better than to draw attention to her choice. Instead, he closed ranks beside her. “She stays with us,” he said.
“That means a lot, but now you’re kinda blocking my shot,” Teryn said from between and behind them.
“You are still marked by my vendetta, monster,” said Lawrence.
“Have you tried getting over it?” asked Scars.
His face instantly red with rage, Lawrence jerked the knots at his belt free to drop the loose sacks of loot from his hip. “I must resolve my vendetta before any other fight,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Then let’s get on it,” said Geoffrey.
The words unleashed Lawrence into a headlong charge. Rothgar nearly kept up with him, with Kiana and Geoffrey trailing. Only Mishael stayed behind at the foot of the bridge, arms out in a quick whirling gesture that sent an ever-growing ball of fire ahead of her companions.
Yargol stood ready. Leaning hard on his staff both for support and its raw power, he held out his left arm in a blocking motion with a single arcane word. When he first called upon this spell against Mishael, he’d already been at his limit. He could protect no more than War Cloud and Scars in the library, even surviving on his own only by virtue of hiding under a table. Now he put a barrier over his entire crew, visible as soon as Mishael’s flames broke against it. Moss and insects caught fire and died all across the bridge; his friends felt the heat, but suffered no real harm.
He couldn’t hold back two such attacks. “Lahstul’s light take you!” shouted Geoffrey. Brilliant golden light erupted at the center of the crew, blasting through Yargol’s protection with searing pain for everyone. Yargol tumbled to the ground. War Cloud staggered. Shady Tooth turned away, bringing one arm up to shield her eyes. Teryn let out a yelp.
Scars held on, wincing and enduring it all, and then the enemy was upon them. Lawrence crashed into him, shield against shield. The sheer weight and strength of the armored paladin forced him a step back to stay upright. The paladin’s blade immediately came for his head. Scars ducked low, shoved back with his shield, and looked for some way through his enemy’s many defenses.
To one side, Rothgar charged in low against Shady Tooth with his hammer swinging in a broad arc. She rolled backward to avoid it, springing to her feet as soon as she was out of reach. Her eyes still squinted hard to recover from Geoffrey’s invocation of light. War Cloud took on the cleric, who led with his shield much like Lawrence, but Geoffrey held a less aggressive stance against War Cloud’s hefty sword. It was the only sign of any advantage Scars could see in his quick glances to his friends.
Then leather armor and blonde hair flew up in a rush over Lawrence. “Sneak attack!” yelled Kiana. She rolled in the air, planting one foot on Scars at the shoulder and digging a cut up along his back with her sword before she sprang off of him again. Leaping off his shoulder, she left Scars to desperately parry away another slash from Lawrence despite his pain.
Behind the front line of larger fighters, Teryn got her shot off at Mishael just as Kiana came down on her feet beside her. The arrow flew true—or true enough, at least. Though not a killing blow, Teryn’s missile landed in the wizard’s shoulder. She could only hope it would disrupt whatever new spell Mishael meant to throw. Then the tip of Kiana’s blade caught her bow, knocking it from her hand. Turning and leaping back for room, Teryn let her bow drop rather than see it cut in half. Her other hand grabbed for her sword, hopping backward to buy time against her much faster opponent.
She only realized her mistake as she got her blade out. Kiana didn’t go for her. “Need you out of my way, princess,” said Kiana. “Mages go first.”
“Agreed,” said Yargol. Teryn’s eyes flashed up once toward him, and beyond him to the rival wizard across the bridge. Mishael now stood behind another purple wall of light, presumably to block any more arrows or whatever Yargol might throw. Rather than hurling a spell, Yargol reached out with an empty hand, closing it around nothing and yanking back. The arrow Teryn had put in Mishael’s shoulder came out with a rough, ugly tug. Mishael fell to her knees.
The elven woman darted straight past Teryn to reach Yargol. Too fast for Teryn to catch with her sword, and much too fast for Yargol while he concentrated on his next spell, Teryn blurted out, “No!”
DigDig managed what she could not. Hanging back from the rest of the crew, the little goblin had gone overlooked by friend and foe alike until his shovel slammed into Kiana’s hip. She tumbled and fell to her opposite side on the bridge floor, rolling for more space as he came on. A quick swipe of her blade parried away his next blow, but she couldn’t block his following thrust straight for her belly.
Her armor held. Left exposed and seemingly surprised, DigDig wasn’t ready when her sword thrust in over his hip. Kiana’s elven blade cut straight through his old and weak armor. The tip withdrew just as fast, dripping blood in its wake. She spun around for a finishing slash before he could collapse.
The sword didn’t touch him again. Teryn made it within reach in time to parry away the blow, but Kiana’s spinning attack continued on in the same instant. The dagger in her other hand came in over Teryn’s guard—and caught her neck right over her collarbone.
“Oh shit,” Kiana blurted. Teryn clutched her bleeding neck with her empty left hand, still swinging desperately with her blade to ward Kiana off. The elf blocked the blow easily. She couldn’t evade her alarm at her mistake with the same casual air. Her eyes widened as blood gushed from Teryn’s wound. “Oh, shit!”
Her distraction ended with a loud, metallic clank. Kiana doubled over, fighting to stay on her knees despite the pain in the back of her head. DigDig shifted his grip on his shovel to turn it back again, this time swatting her hard against the shoulder. The elf fell onto her butt, rolling to evade another inevitable blow. DigDig knew better this time; rather than going for her head, he brought his shovel down hard on her wrist to disarm her.
“War Cloud! Yargol!” he shouted. “Teryn’
s hurt! Need help!”
Kiana rolled again, putting herself on her feet just as she hit the rails of the bridge. She put one foot against the rail to launch herself back at DigDig, bereft of her sword but still clutching her bloody dagger. Battered or not, she fought on.
She wasn’t the only one. Her dagger came at DigDig in a flash. A sudden parry turned her blade downward, though it wasn’t from the goblin. Teryn managed one final move in the fight. Once more, Kiana was shocked…and once more, DigDig’s shovel came in at her head.
This time, her face felt the impact. She had nowhere else to move, either. The rail that had bolstered her recovery now worked against her as a backstop. Kiana was light on her feet, making her fast and dangerous, but also much easier to knock straight off a bridge. The rogue wailed as she fell backward over the rail, her broken nose trailing blood. The current carried her well out of reach from the fight before she’d managed to orient herself.
DigDig turned immediately to Teryn, his eyes even more full of fear than Kiana’s. Teryn fell to her knees, dropping her sword on the deck. The goblin looked back only once to the rest of the fight before rushing to her side. He pressed one hand over her wound with no thought for his own. His backpack came off with a shrug of his free arm. He had rags inside. A spare shirt. Something. He also knew how little good it would do. “War Cloud!” he shouted again. “She’s hurt!”
“I could save her if you’d get out of my way,” huffed Geoffrey. The cleric hefted his shield again to deflect another blow from War Cloud’s sword.
“Doesn’t sound like that works out well for the rest of us,” said War Cloud. His opponent had hardly even made a feint with his mace, let alone a real attack. War Cloud pressed him hard, but he wondered if there might be more to it than his lack of aggression.
“It’s your choice.” Geoffrey let out a breathless chuckle against another blow to his shield. “I only have to keep you busy, monster.”
He had a point. Shady Tooth had her hands full against the dwarf, their differences in height and reach making for an awkward fight. So far, she looked to be holding her own, but Scars was already hurt. Lawrence held the advantage there. The dynamic leaned heavily against the crew if it continued.