The pair touched the floor of the first room on the third level. It was mostly the same as the previous: narrow tunnel, slime river, walking dead . . . Ten feet from the ladder they heard footsteps and skeletons walked out of the shadows. They were covered in slime like him and wore armor like Culmus. Everything else had been eaten. They blockaded both the exit and the path forward.
Lost souls . . .
You knew they were here?
Of course. Misery loves company.
Eric didn't have time to unravel his teacher's cryptic comment; sword-bearing undead were attacking! He stood back-to-back with Culmus as the skeletons closed in. Dengel told him that skeletons were most vulnerable to holy magic but, lacking that, fire would do. Eric caught a sword on his staff and, feeling foolish, swung it through the skeleton's skull. It flew off and the skeleton kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over and another brought their sword down on his head.
“Duck!” Culmus ordered. Eric dropped entirely and Culmus spun in place. His whirling sword created a kill zone and cleaved their enemies. Its force was so great that any not cut clean through was swept off its feet and smashed against the wall. Eric scurried on his hands and knees to blow off the slime and scatter the bones further. Culmus was still spinning by the time he was done. Once something that big gets moving, it's hard to stop. He gradually slowed and slammed his enormous blade into the floor to steady himself.
“Try looking at the ceiling.” You said those were 'lost souls.'
Yes, people that died here. This place is so charged with mana that it grants half-life. The slime is the animating agent. See that skeleton? Push it in.
Eric gulped. With shaking hands, he grabbed its leg and pulled it to the edge of the sewage stream. With his boot, he pushed in. By the time its torso was submerged, the skeleton rattled. The head twitched, followed by the arms and hands. It grabbed the edge of the stream and pulled itself up. The skeleton had come to life!
At first, Eric was too amazed to strike, but when it picked up a fallen sword, he had to act. He chanted the fireball spell, dodged the skeleton's thrust, and shoved it into his foe's ribcage. The explosion blew the skeleton apart and its pieces flew in all directions.
That . . .that was . . .
Fascinating, I agree. I once wrote a book, The Life of the Undead about their behavior. Did you know that it varies between Ataidar and Najica?
All I want to know is why it attacked us. It certainly doesn't eat . . .
Technically, it is not a monster. Though the layman, of course, would call it so. Would you believe it thinks WE are the monsters? That is why they do not attack each other—though their brains have rotted and their soul has left, they retain a faint sentience from the psychic imprint on their bones.
Eric did not share his tenant's enthusiasm. The skeletons terrified him. He was a heartbeat away from becoming one of them. They were a constant reminder of the danger he was in. He shifted his grip while Culmus recovered from his dizzy spell. Together they ventured deeper into the sewer.
Boom-bom . . . . . .boom-bom . . . . . .boom-bom . . . . .
More monsters awaited them on the Fourth Level: emils, skeletons, and other beasts hungry for their flesh and blood. All of them were stronger on this level and Eric was forced to rely on the Flame Wave more than he'd like. The recoil was murder on his arm and the cost depleted his mana reserves, but he only needed a sip of Mana Juice to restore his supply. The Fog did the rest. It eased his pain and restored his strength. That's why the monsters here are so strong. Mana empowers all life.
The Fog grew thicker as they traveled to the Fifth level and its taste was more pleasant; invigorating. Eric wanted to take one deep breath after another, but Dengel advised him to show restraint. The air in this level was a natural stimulant. People in his day would seek out such places for the high it gave them. A little restored their strength and raised their spirits, but more induced madness and mutation. Then he went off on another lengthy anecdote about some military campaign where he made strategic use of them and Eric zoned out. Culmus nudged him out of his thoughts.
“From here on don't use spells unless it’s an emergency.” He passed Eric another handkerchief. There was already one tied over his own mouth and nose.
“How come?”
“Best case scenario: they work too well and go out of control. Worst case scenario: they destabilize the Fog and cause an explosion that vaporizes us if we're lucky.”
“And if we're not?”
“We'll join those things over there!”
Hanging from the walls and ceiling were agglomerations of stone held together by moss. Their eyes shone green and converged on the pair. Eric quickly tied the handkerchief and put his staff back in its strap. For this battle, he'd need his dagger. Culmus charged one and grinded it into dust with his zanpatou. Eric had a different tactic in mind. He ducked inside one's punch and jammed his blade into their shoulder joint. With a yell, he cut upwards and severed the mossy sinews holding the arm to the main body. Then it kicked him in the chest hard enough to knock him off his feet. Pain exploded through his body but a few breaths of Fog dissipated it. Three more to go.
He dove underneath the creature and sliced the sinews of its leg as he slid underneath. The monster fell over still trying to hammer Eric. The mage thought it was disabled, but it flipped over and walked on its hand and foot. Setting his jaw, he tried a bold move and jumped onto the creature's back. It dropped to the ground to crush him, and, flat on its back, Eric easily slashed the second arm. Even then it tried to move, until Eric removed that as well and even then the stone rattled. Eric wiped off all the moss and when he was finally finished he heard,
“What do you think my sword now?”
Culmus stood cross-armed amidst the shattered remains of three moss golems.
“Alright, your sword of unusual length does come in handy when fighting golems.”
Full of pride Culmus declared, “Unusual nothing! In Stratos, the whole region carries these! Or at least they used to . . .Anyway you never told me the plan.” Eric scratched the back of his neck. “You don't have a plan!?”
“I'm making this up as I go . . .”All right Dengel, you said you've arranged many successful rescues. How'd you do it?
Normally we would charge in and, I believe the phrase is, 'kick ass.'
THAT was your plan!?
Mother Dragon, remember? I traveled with some powerful people. Charging into the Black Cloaks' hideout sounded more like suicide than a legitimate rescue. He was a novice, not the Mother Dragon! Relax. You will do fine with the concealment spells I taught you. Though this would be easier if you could use the more advanced spells . . .
That did it. A wave of guilt washed in Eric's stomach and crashed into his heart. His inadequacy was going to get them killed. It was just like when he was kicked out of the magician club for letting a secret slip or when that girl failed geometry because he couldn't mimic her handwriting or—
It is within your power to succeed on this rescue.
But!
Can you make barriers?
Not good ones . . ..
Can you make them?
Yes . . .
Can you cast decent concealment spells?
Yes. . .
Then you can do this. All you need to do is create a barrier and cast a dark veil within in it. The barrier should prevent anyone from sensing the concealment spell.
Basilard already explained this in the Yacian Caverns. The fact that Dengel had to repeat it made Eric feel stupider than usual. Yet he couldn't dwell on it; he had a friend to save. The fifth ladder looked even rustier than the last three.
Boom-bom . . .Boom-bom . . .Boom-bom . . .
The sewer was a maze. That would make it Eric's third: the Dragon's Lair, then Yacian Caverns, and now Roalt's sewer system. A fork in the path stopped them. The handkerchief wasn't sophisticated enough to tell the difference. Culmus walked to a nearby wall and pointed at the junk surrounding a hole. He tossed
a piece in and held up a finger.
“This place is officially called, 'Way of the Rat', for the intricacy of its tunnels, the random junk, and of course . . .” Rodent after rodent scurried out of the hole and many others in the hallway. “For the many colonies of rats that call it home.”
Unlike the rats Eric was used to, these were sapient like every animal in this crazy world. Culmus explained their purpose and asked for directions. The whole clan pointed and laughed; all five hundred of them. Then one stepped forward with a proposition.
“In return for a wedge of cheese, I will guide you to them.”
This rat's name was Alice and she thought the boy's mission was awfully sweet. Immediately after saying so, she ranted about her good-for-nothing mate who would never do such a thing for her and how he was a horrible provider. When Eric suggested breaking up with him, she gasped and went on another long rant about kind he was and how much he'd done for their litters. Noting their confused looks, she clarified, “Married life has its ups and downs.”
She walked to the fork in the path. She knew which way to go because she watched two leggers in black cloaks go back and forth. Shortly afterward, they ran into a reptilian rat as big as a chest of drawers. Alice squeaked and hid while the humans drew their weapons.
At this level, the emils and skeletons were cannon fodder. Creatures much more frightening lurked on the lower levels. Mutated by the thick Fog, they were both powerful and hideous. Many times Culmus ordered a retreat before they could be seriously injured. At one injunction, the trio spotted a spider of titanic proportions; the regular grabbed the novice's collar and ran away.
Alice stopped at another fork and pointed to the left path “The human den is at the end.” Eric confirmed this with the handkerchief; it was throbbing.
“Are there any guards?” Culmus asked.
“Two. They come every hour.” She scurried ahead of them into a dead end. “The entrance is hidden; the fifth block up.”
The wall looked solid. It even had moss and slime covering each block. A casual eye would see nothing but an ordinary sewer wall that hadn't been touched in years. The Black Cloaks were hiding with the same principles Basilard lectured on: when looking for a needle in a haystack, the question is not “will I find it” but “how long until I find it.” Even with Alice's tip-off, he wouldn't have believed it if he didn't have a violently pulsating handkerchief in his pocket.
A lack of cameras didn't necessarily mean a lack of surveillance, so Eric made a show for them. He brushed away dust and cobwebs and tapped random stones. Then he shrugged exaggeratedly and exhaled loudly. Finally, he put an arm around Culmus and guided him away from the hideout's entrance.
“There's nothing here, let's go.”
Culmus jerked Eric's arm off. “What are you talking about!?”
Eric winked. “I know you're disappointed, but we didn't find anything.”
Culmus replied with an equally loud sigh. “You're right.” He let his shoulders drop. “That reward will never be ours after all, huh?”
“Afraid not.” Eric supported the clearly depressed Culmus out of the tunnel and then said to Alice, “Thanks for your help. Here's your payment.”
He reached into his pack and put the promised wedge of cheese on the ground. He shouldn't have been surprised, he really shouldn't have. Alice mashed the cheese up, molded it into a ball, and rolled it away. The cheese wedge was too unwieldy for her to carry home as it was so she made it manageable. Eric let out a genuine sigh. Will I ever get used to this?
“Have you made the plan yet?” Culmus asked. Eric nodded.
First, he created the barrier that was supposed to protect them from any magical sensors the kidnappers might have, and with any luck, shield the mana he was channeling into the spell so it didn't destabilize the Fog. The Dark Veil eagerly wrapped about him and flew through his barrier to Culmus.
Was that supposed to happen?
No. It should have been more complicated than that.
Whatever works, I say.
They returned to the dead end. Eric pushed the stone and suddenly he wasn't in the sewer anymore, but hurtling through space. His head spun, his stomach turned and he thought he would throw up. Just as suddenly, the world closed back around him and Culmus was steadying him.
“Teleportation sickness. It'll pass.” Eric nodded and took deep breaths. “The Black Cloaks may have greater resources than we expected. They used a standing teleportation rune just to create an 'untouched wall' look. The fifth stone teleports the user through the wall. It's a three-foot jump.”
Footsteps approached from two directions; one from the right and another from the left. They were in such a hurry they collided into each other and fell at the mercenaries' feet.
“Abyss cursed lead head!” Dark Sword shouted. “Get out of my way!”
“Where's the fire?” a woman with nunchaku asked and laughed.
“We don't know!” Dark Sword shouted again. “That's the point!”
“She has to be here somewhere. The teleporter won't work without a keystone.”
They stood up and ran down the central passage. Not once did they notice the mercenaries.
“If the teleport wouldn't work without a keystone . . . how did we get in?” Eric asked.
“The kidnappers must be lazy . . . or someone unlocked it as they left!”
“You don't mean . . . .”
“Yes!” Culmus said, a large grin on his face. “Kasile already escaped!”
Chapter 15 The Man with Red Eyes
As thrilled as Eric was at the possibility of Kasile escaping on her own, he couldn't help feeling irritated. After a day of sewer diving and monster fighting, he wanted to finish the mission they came down here for. To find that she had already saved herself was . . . annoying.
Kasile!
What?
You said you'd WAIT!
Kasile bristled. You were taking too long!
Are you at least in their hideout?
Unfortunately. I haven't found the exit yet.
Stay where you are. We'll come to you.
I'll find the exit before you find me.
No, you'll get lost. Now that he thought about it, they could get lost too . . . Wait for us.
Who’s with you? That friend you were talking about?
No, Culmus.
Culmus came to rescue me, too?
A wave of sugary love and rainbows flooded their link. It manifested as a romantic daydream staring Kasile as the damsel in distress and her boyfriends, plural, as the hero. Apparently, Siron was here somewhere. It was just the ace he needed to win this argument.
Yes. You should have seen how worried he was and how much he wanted to save you.
That doesn't mean I'm going to hide and wait for him!
Of all the princesses he could be friends with it had to be one that thought she could rescue herself . . . The exit is a teleport and you need a key stone to unlock it. He didn't tell her the teleport was unlocked for obvious reasons.
So that's what this is. I was wondering why that rogue had such an expensive necklace.
Wait! The link was silent. Kasile was ignoring him. Eric growled. The handkerchief shinned and pulsated like a strobe light.
Boom-bom! Boom-bom! Boom-bom!
That is another disadvantage. At a certain proximity, it becomes useless.
And you tell me this now?!
Any mage worth their mana could figure it out on their own.
“Well, Culmus, we're going to have to find her our . . . selves?”
Culmus was gone. Dropping his shoulders, Eric sighed heavily. Culmus was a Regular but he doubted the melee could defeat the entire band without mage back up. It was then that he was hit by the absurdity of his situation.
I'm rescuing a princess with a mercenary, a sentient staff, and a ghost. It's like one of those RPGs I used to play when I was a kid . . . Another absurdity crashed his train of thought. When I was a kid the first time. He sighed again. Th
is is definitely not what I imagined doing after college. He chose a random direction and hoped Kasile was at the other end.
At first, the hideout didn't appear too different from the sewer: dank, dreary, and covered in moss. Then he noticed the walls were made of metal instead of stone. The rooms he checked had rusty shackles chained to the walls and one even had an iron maiden wearing a green skirt. I'm not in a sewer, but a torture chamber! He'd be seeing the business end of that iron maiden if he was caught. Then he bumped into someone and it was neither Kasile nor Culmus.
“Uh . . . sorry about that!” Eric said quickly. “I'm just in such a hurry to find the princess!”
“Are you Dark Staff's replacement?” asked a man-spider wielding a spear.
“Yep!” Eric said even faster. “Introductions later. Recapturing the princess comes first.”
“Hold on,” said a humanoid alligator baring a bow. “If you're one of us, then—”
Eric jumped backwards. “Hide in night! No Sight!” They lunged. “Dark Bolt!”
The spell splattered like a spitball on their barriers and encompassed them in darkness as thick as their own Dark Fog. “Speed bump, jump! Mole Hill!” They tripped on his second spell and fell flat. “You can't stay on your feet! Go to sleep! Thunder Slumber!” Static sparkles danced in their eyes and their eyelids dropped.
Eric almost fell over himself. Three spells in such quick succession, after burning out several times on the way here, left him gasping. He leaned forward on his staff and prayed that no one else came down this tunnel before he caught his breath.
“I heard shouting down this way!” a voice shouted. “Let's check it out!”
Eric leaned heavier. “Abyss take you, Tasio.”
As quickly as possible, he dragged one of the fallen rogues into a cell, ripped off their cloaks, and pilfered their keystone. The hem just barely settled when more rogues turned the corner.
A Mage's Power (Journey to Chaos) Page 30