by Eric Vall
My minions were close, and I followed the sound of them through the tiny, forgotten city until I came to a dank, dark alleyway. I could make out their shapes as they spoke softly to each other, and I moved toward them quietly. As soon as I came into view, their faces broke with relief, and they wrapped their arms around me and showered my face with kisses. Haruhi looked the most upset as she clung onto my bloodstained arm tightly, and I cupped her cheek tenderly.
“There is no reason to worry, my love, I am here.” I murmured to her, and she nuzzled into my touch with a soft purr.
“Did you take care of the Rohlings, Master?” Morrigan asked as she came forward. “I’m sorry I acted out of line. That woman said things that were not appropriate, and I could not keep my mouth shut.”
“I did, they won’t be following us,” I told her as I let my hand drop from the librarian’s cheek. “Do not apologize, I’m actually quite proud of you.”
The elven woman’s eyebrows went up as her plump lips went slack. She glanced over at Haruhi, and the feline looked just as confused at my words.
“P-proud?” Morrigan asked as she looked into my face in the gloom around us. “What do you mean, Master?”
“When I met you, you were not the woman you are today, and I am proud,” I stated in a firm voice as I laid my hand gently on her shoulder. “Before, you would stand back and not attack. You kept to yourself and only spoke to Fea and Macha. To see you stand up to someone without even thinking about it, that makes me proud. Though, it could have come at a better time, perhaps.”
“For that I am sorry, and I am sorry to you too, Haruhi,” Morrigan uttered in her cold, emotionless voice as she snapped her head to the librarian and Haruhi jumped in surprise.
“Y-you are?” the sage asked as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “Why are you sorry?”
“You put so much effort into these outfits and disguises, and I feel as if it has been wasted because of what I did.” The elven woman said as she bowed her head respectfully and Haruhi looked utterly taken aback. “For that, I apologize.”
“O-oh, it’s alright, don’t worry about it,” the sage giggled with a wave of her hand. “We got through most of the city unnoticed, and when we escaped, no one questioned us.”
Morrigan held up a delicate, pale hand and silenced the sage. The elven woman shook her head vehemently and looked deeply into Haruhi’s eyes as she spoke.
“No, please accept the apology,” the white-haired elf stated. “We were supposed to be in hiding, and I caused a scene that could have exposed us to the Holy Band. You put in too much effort for it not to be upsetting, please accept my humble apology.”
Haruhi flushed red and nodded in response as she held her paws in front of her. It warmed my heart to see my two women interacting this way. I’d chosen Haruhi and Morrigan on this mission for specific reasons, they both were skilled in their own ways, but I also wanted to bring them closer together. Morrigan was the only minion who had had doubts about bringing Haruhi into the fold, and I wanted this journey to help her become more comfortable with the librarian. It was working, and it warmed my heart to watch them together.
Morrigan was blossoming in ways that I could have never imagined when I first met her. She no longer shied away from her powers but let them use her to their will, and it made me proud. She no longer spoke only to her ravens and included herself in all the conversations we had. I had trained her and worked with her for a long time, and now I was just starting to see results. The elven woman could still be cold and elusive, but there were noticeable changes within her.
I turned towards Haruhi, and she looked at me expectantly. Even in the dark alleyway, the sage looked just as beautiful in the black dress and red wig. I smiled to her and gestured ahead of us.
“Lead the way, Haruhi,” I commanded her as I changed my face back to look like the one that my minions had originally crafted for me.
“Yes, Master.” The librarian nodded as she moved ahead of us.
Haruhi brought us along the empty alleyway until it ended in a rough brick wall. I couldn’t see anything but sensed a great emptiness below our feet, which had to be the tunnels that worked their way through the city. The sage bent down and felt across the cobblestone ground for a minute until her paw dragged across something metal. She felt around it, frustration growing on her face as she failed to find the lever in the darkness.
“Morrigan, can I have some light, please?” the sage grinned, and the elven woman nodded.
Morrigan lifted one of her pale hands, and in an instant, it was surrounded in an ethereal green glow. The light looked different from the power she usually used, and it didn’t crackle angrily as it always did in battle. The elven woman’s power lit up the space around us, and the sage let out a loud ‘aha’ when she found the lever to open the metal cover into the tunnels.
Haruhi struggled to open the metal closure, and I bent down beside her and threw my shoulder against it. The cover broke from its fastenings, flew off and rolled loudly down the alley away from us, and when I looked back at the librarian, her eyes were wide.
“Whoa, Master, you’re so strong.” Haruhi laughed as she leaned forward and looked down into the darkness of the tunnel.
Morrigan held her hand higher over the entrance into the tunnels, and it illuminated a rickety-looking metal ladder. Haruhi nodded once, brushed off her hands, and positioned herself to go down, but I placed a hand on her shoulder and stopped her.
“What?” the sage asked as her eyebrows furrowed.
“I will go down first and make sure it is safe,” I told her as I slid into the space between her and the ladder.
“Oh, okay but there shouldn’t be anyone down there,” Haruhi added as she smiled softly. “The tunnels have been abandoned for hundreds of years. They don’t use them anymore.”
“Just in case,” I told her in a firm voice as I placed my gloved hands on the rungs on the ladder and lowered myself in.
I climbed down then let myself drop once I was close to the floor. The smell of smoke and soot was stronger here, but I sensed no beings here, human or otherwise. I kept a watchful eye on either side of the tunnel and stood in silence for a few minutes. Once I knew there was nothing down there, I went back to the ladder called up to Morrigan and Haruhi.
“You can come down now, there’s nothing here,” I called up to them, and both of my women hurriedly climbed down beside me.
The tunnels were made from layered brinks, and no light filtered into the space. Morrigan held her thin hands in front of her, and both of them began to glow emerald green in the darkness. I didn’t need it since I could see perfectly well in the dark, but both Haruhi and Morrigan couldn’t see in the space around us without some light.
Haruhi had told us that these tunnels were once used by the Holy Band long ago but other than that, I knew nothing of them. I glanced over at the sage, but her hazel eyes were trained at the ground to make sure she wouldn’t trip over anything.
“This tunnel will lead us straight to the forest?” I asked over to Haruhi, and the librarian raised her head.
“Yes, there used to be a branch of the city out there, but they stopped using it after the first dungeon sprung up. The Holy Band doesn’t exactly bond well with gods.” The sage chuckled lightly as she stepped over a jagged brick.
“What were the tunnels used for? Do you know?” I questioned again, testing the expanse of the librarian’s knowledge.
“We all know that there are different branches of the Holy Band, like the branch that tracked me down after I’d returned to Nekoka,” Haruhi began as she watched where she stepped. “Before the branches were spread out over the whole city in different districts and the whole band leaders resided in the middle of the city in the largest building. The smaller branches would use the tunnels to get to the main building quickly and easily without having to use the streets.”
“They don’t use them anymore?” Morrigan asked as she looked over her shoulder at
the smaller sage.
“No, not anymore,” Haruhi said with a shake of her head. “Galencia began constructing larger, taller buildings with apartments instead of smaller, one-story homes. It was easier to pack people tightly in and have them within reach when they were needed.”
“That seems like such a waste, I mean, it is convenient for us because we are sneaking through them, but they could have used them for something else, correct?” Morrigan questioned.
“They did for awhile,” Haruhi said as she pointed down to the floor where large lines had been rubbed into the floor from wear and tear. “See those? After the Holy Band closed down the tunnels, they used them to transport coal to and from the city, but since they’ve expanded so much, there isn’t much need for coal anymore. The poorer parts of the city still use it, but the tunnels are no longer in service since it’s such a small part of town.”
“I noticed the smoke and the soot, we must be close to the poorer parts,” I stated as we walked on together.
“Yes, there’s only one district, if you can even call it that. Most of the people of Galencia are wealthy but of course, like most towns, there are poorer, less fortunate parts,” Haruhi nodded sadly. “A lot of Galencia’s richer families are part of the Holy Order, they are the main source of jobs even if it isn’t working within the Order. The few who refuse to work for the Holy Order are exiled to the outskirts of town and live in tiny huts, they’re not even allowed to occupy the abandoned homes we saw.”
“The Holy Order is a corrupt institution, it has been for hundreds of years,” I growled as my hands curled into fists. “I was thrown from the heavens then locked in the hole that was my dungeon. I would’ve stayed there for the rest of time if it wasn’t for Morrigan’s help.”
“R-really?” Haruhi asked excitedly as she turned to the elven woman, and Morrigan simply raised an eyebrow.
“That is correct, I am a mage and had the ability to do so.” The white-haired woman stated simply, but Haruhi still looked starstruck as she looked up into the face of her sister.
“Wow, that’s so amazing!” the librarian whispered to herself shyly, and the smallest of smiles crept over Morrigan’s plump lips.
“I was also thrown out by the Holy Band,” Morrigan stated as the smile faded away and her whole body language changed. “Elves are forbidden from learning any type of magic, especially black magic. I was not only cast away by the Band but also my people. All I had was Fea and Macha until Rana, Carmedy, and Annalise came along.”
“Morrigan, I’m so sorry,” Haruhi whispered as she came closer and laid a hand on the elven woman’s arm.
“No, I am almost glad that they did,” Morrigan smiled as she placed her hand over the librarians. “My life has changed so much for the better thanks to Master, I cannot thank him enough for what he has done for my sisters and me and now you too, Haruhi.”
“I’m very grateful to have met you all and to be allowed into your family,” Haruhi admitted softly as she bowed her head. “I know I ran away from you on Machstein, and I don’t think I've ever properly apologized for that.”
“No, there is no need to apologize for that,” I cut in as I placed a hand on the sage’s shoulder. “Machstein was filled with people under the influence of the Liebe’s power, and you had every right not to trust us.”
“But I still feel bad about it, I threatened to punch you when you were only trying to help me, and for that, I sincerely apologize,” Haruhi stated as she lifted her chin and looked up into both of our faces.
“The situation was warranted,” I said as I smiled down at the librarian. “That bookstore owner was trying to kiss you, and you were obviously distressed, but yes, we will accept your apology.”
“Thank you,” the sage breathed as she grinned. “That’s been bothering me for so long, and I didn’t know how to bring it up.”
We walked on in the tunnels bathed in emerald light for a long time and in a way, it reminded me of all the journeys we’d taken into dungeons. Morrigan and Haruhi fell into a comfortable silence as we walked shoulder to shoulder. It was dark and dank in the tunnel for most of the walk, but as we neared our destination, dried leaves rustled around the slope of the tunnel and light began to filter in from ahead. The scent in the air changed too, it was no longer musty, and a fresh breeze rushed in from the far end.
I grabbed my women by the hands and hurried toward the bright light of day. The exit of the tunnels was made from red brick just like the rest of it and led out onto a rough pathway that hadn’t been used for years, but that wasn’t what caught my attention. The ground sloped up suddenly from the tunnel and amongst the thin birch trees was another massive tunnel in the ground. It looked exactly like the exit we’d just come from but different in a way. The red brick looked freshly lain, and the worn path led up to it perfectly. This wasn’t something built by the Holy Order or any other mortals.
“Is that another part of the tunnel or…the dungeon?” Morrigan asked as she swiveled to Haruhi.
“There are no tunnels beyond this point,” the sage whispered as she turned and took in the layout of the land around us. “This specific tunnel was just a spill out point, there was no actual use for it. That shouldn’t be here.”
“No, it’s the dungeon,” I stated as I breathed in deeply and sensed out the presence of the god within. “He put it here to confuse anyone who wandered out of the tunnel.”
“Do you know the name of the god inside?” she asked.
“Athar, he’s the god within,” I stated as I reached into my void pocket and pulled out the God Slayer in preparation. “I can feel his power from here.”
“The god of regeneration and rebirth,” Haruhi nodded as she recalled the information from the book she’d brought.
“Regeneration, and rebirth?” Morrigan echoed as she brought her hands up and emerald flames burst to life in the middle of her palms. “Let’s just see about that.”
Chapter Thirteen
As we exited the tunnel and approached the dungeon, the clear blue sky clouded over and thunder boomed in the distance. It was as if the atmosphere around us knew what we were about to do, but that couldn’t be true, it was nothing more than a trick of the god within. I led the way into the mouth of the tunnel and stepped first into the darkness beyond.
Haruhi gripped her pistols in her paws tightly, but her hands didn’t shake or tremble in the least bit. Morrigan’s hands were surrounded in crackling emerald fire, and the deeper we traversed, it crept up her arms to her shoulders until she was nearly consumed in her power. I held the God Slayer in one hand and used it almost like a walking stick as my eyes swung around the tunnel ahead of us.
I sensed the presence of hundreds of souls in every direction. They were human once, but they weren’t anymore. I knew this to be the power and usage of the Ushabti left in Athar’s shrines, and they were powerful guardians of the god within. They already surrounded us though they weren’t visible to the naked eye yet. I wondered when the guardians of Athar would show themselves, but they didn’t appear behind or in front of us as we traveled deeper.
I knew that Morrigan could also sense the presence of the guardians, and her wholly black eyes swiveled to the brick walls encasing us in the tunnel. The elven woman leaned forward and pressed her face close to the porous surface as she squinted. She then lifted a flaming emerald hand and brought it up next to the wall. The bricks warbled for a moment and then began to shake violently. Loud, high-pitched squeals erupted and rang in our ears, and Morrigan hastily pulled her hand away.
The elven woman’s eyes widened in surprise as she looked to me, and I realized what was happening before either of my minions did. I gripped them both by the shoulders and yanked them away from the wall. The concrete holding the bricks together began to crack and crumble away. It gathered in small piles on the floor and began to vibrate and jump with life.
“…It’s clay,” Haruhi breathed in horror as her wide hazel eyes shot in every direction around us. “The
layers in between the brick is clay…that’s how he was hiding the Ushabti from us.”
The bricks sank into the dirt behind them and disappeared as the broken clay clattered around our feet. The librarian hopped from foot to foot as she avoided stepping onto them. The clay pieces rattled and began to form themselves in tiny piles together, and before my eyes, they formed into miniature shapes of men. Each of the Ushabti was a different size, but none of them stood over a foot tall. Each of the clay guardians carried tiny weapons like swords and claymores.
By themselves, the weapons wouldn’t cause much damage, but combined with the force of thousands of the clay figures, they could probably take down a human without much effort. We were nearly surrounded in all directions by a swarming sea of clay men, and they pointed their weapons at us menacingly.
Each Ushabti had runes inscribed over their bodies, and I struggled to read the tiny writings. I could make out some of the god’s language, but most of it was in languages used by the people who worshipped Athar. Some of them were tinted and colored with paints while others looked to be made entirely of jade or turquoise. The one who seemed to be their leader stepped forward and leaned his head back to look into my face, and then his carved eyes settled on Haruhi.
The feline jumped back as the leader pointed his sword at her, and I gripped onto her tightly, sensing something amiss. The Ushabti seemed to have lost interest in me entirely as it moved its eyes over the librarian. The slightly larger guardian whipped its head to the troops behind him and shouted one word that I did understand.