El-Vador took a step forward and to his surprise it was Judicael who came to the assassin's defence. 'Think for a moment, I implore you.' the thief said in his stuttering voice. 'Why would Anacletus return to you after having betrayed you if he did not intend to make amends?' he stepped forward with arms raised and was clearly doing his best to play the negotiator. 'Why would he bring me here if he did not intend to aid you in destroying Salvarius?'
The words were enough to pause the advance of the Elf, and for that Anacletus was thankful. He knew not what the Brotherhood had taught him but what he had seen in the cave suggested that he was much more powerful that when they had last met. He hadn't lived this long by testing the resources of every powerful being he came into contact with.
'So you are claiming that powers beyond your control prevented you from honouring the promise you made with your life?'
Anacletus nodded. 'No further fetched than the idea of my returning to face your retribution, or my employing Judicael to witness it, no?'
The Elf continued to waver, clearly unconvinced at the idea of the assassin speaking the truth. Anacletus couldn't blame him, he wouldn't trust himself if the roles were reversed.
'Very well then.' El-Vador finally replied, sheathing his blade and relinquishing his hold on the power. The tension across the plain dropped immediately and the protective edges of the smoke Anacletus was wrapped in receded. 'Why have you brought the thief to us now? What purpose does he serve in all of this?'
'Judicael is a former associate of mine whose primary skill is the unlocking of Orcish burrows, a capability that renders him most effective as a companion in our endeavour.'
El-Vador stared out across the barrens and stretched his arm out, gesturing. 'I see no Orcish burrows in this wasteland, Anacletus. Give me answers, now.'
Seeing that his intractable ally was losing patience once again, Anacletus was quick to reply. 'Aliana no longer resides within the barrens, they have taken her back to the heavily guarded burrow by using powers from beyond the ether to transport them. I felt the surge myself, and was able to pin-point its destination thanks to the negligence of the foe that detained me.'
It was enough, the Elf grunted in acknowledgement and the last remnants of tension between them evaporated into a studied and professional acceptance. They were mutual allies once more, though he suspected that El-Vador fully intended to make him pay for his unintentional betrayal once Salvarius was dealt with. He needed to deal with that now, before it was too late.
'Do you expect me to step into your smoke-filled grasp and simply let you take me where you wish, assassin?'
Anacletus dampened the rage that was beginning to build when confronted with the Elf's continually defiant tone. The logical half calmed the beast within him with simple statements and observations, now was not the time to lose his cool.
'This smoke-filled grasp as you call it is the only way to reach the burrow in time. Judicael has passed through it and may testify as to its safety, should you still not believe that I am entirely genuine in my efforts to prevent our utter destruction.'
He cursed inwardly at himself for the sarcastic tone that laced his words, but the Elf did not rise to it, seemingly swayed by the logic behind them.
His momentary ally cut a frustrated figure, pacing back and forth across the dusty land, torn between his distrust and his duty while hopefully realising he had no choice at all.
'So be it.' came the words in that strange mountainous accent of his. 'How do we go about getting inside the burrow?'
Judicael stepped forward and began outlining the preliminary details as quickly as he could, and Anacletus was relieved to see the Elf listening. For the Brotherhood to have one of them in captivity was a desperate situation, for him to have to kill the other would probably doom them. He sank into himself then, thinking back to his previous encounter with the nameless enemy that stalked him from beyond. How could he put an end to such interference without causing a rift to form in the ether that would destroy all purpose in his plans?
'Your plans are detailed and reasonable, much better than when I first came to Harg's burrow.' he heard the Elf conclude, 'I shall go through with this, now how do you get us close enough without their sentries seeing us?'
The assassin stepped forward and let wisps of smoke exude from him, not enough to startle his on-edge companion but a serviceable demonstration of his capabilities.
'I want you to try to see me, Elf.' he replied, letting the smoke coil about his arm in a pleasing fashion.
'See you?' the Elf said, suspicion plain on his face.
'Observe.' Anacletus said, lifting his smoke-curled hand and dashing it upon the ground between them.
A wall of darkness welled up in the space, obscuring all sight and preventing the Elf from penetrating it with his keen eyes. The assassin stared through it as if the air was untouched by obstruction, studying the Elf's features slowly change from confusion to understanding.
'You are right, I cannot see you through the smoke, and I believe I understand your plan.'
Anacletus smiled. 'Then we shall go onward to the burrow, though I will not be able to join you inside.'
El-Vador's eyes narrowed, he clearly had been expecting more aid than simply Judicael when they had appeared before him and suggested this. 'So you can take us all the way to the burrow in this smoke of yours but you cannot enter? That sounds awfully convenient, Anacletus.'
'There are complications, Elf. When last I attempted any use of my power beyond simple travel I was pitted in a duel against a fiendish foe from the ether. I fully suspect it shall attempt to use my approaching the burrow as justification to halt my aid and retain the balance.'
'For someone so determined to protect myself and Aliana from harm, you're doing a terrible job.'
The assassin bristled uncharacteristically, raising his voice. 'I am doing the best that I can, okay? There are forces here beyond my control and understanding and I cannot simply waltz into Salvarius's heavily fortified burrow and kill everyone within. To do so would result in a cataclysmic chain reaction, meaning that I have to rely upon you.'
'Fine.' muttered El-Vador, somewhat mollified by the genuinely strained tone of the man before him. 'We had best be travelling then, let's do this.'
Anacletus nodded, taking a deep breath to compose himself. The Elf had nearly got the best of him, he'd almost lashed out knowing that it would destroy everything he was working toward. Knowing that to do so would cause him endless torment only frustrated him further.
'Close your eyes, Elf. This shall be painless.'
It was.
After all the wandering through the barrens in pursuit of Salvarius it had been for naught. He had the Pixie and presumably he had found the artefact sought for in the ruins. All that was left for El-Vador to do was trust Anacletus this one last time and use Judicael to enter this burrow without arousing suspicions. A seemingly impossible task given his track record with these matters.
This burrow differed greatly from that he had first met Salvarius in, there were not attempts at hiding the location, with two large towers sprouting directly out of the ground and monitoring the dusty plain around them. As Judicael and El-Vador picked their way from cover to cover, he wondered how long this strange smoke would hold and what concealment it really offered. The two men headed for the large outflow pipe that stank of things noxious, a familiar trip that El-Vador was not looking forward to.
Of Anacletus there was no sight, he had left a blanket of smoke to prevent them from being spotted by sentries at least, perhaps that had taken too much power and now he was paying for it. Assuming that the struggle he had spoken of with the creature beyond the ether was ongoing. All they could do now was carry on without him and not hope for his aid should things turn sour.
They crept through the sewers without any obstruction, it would appear that Salvarius wasn't expecting any opposition this far into Orcish territory. That was until they came to the gate.
Judicael crouched in the shadows observing the structure silently for some time before remarking. 'This iron gate is new, it does not have the same stench as the rest of the sewer.'
El-Vador nodded. 'It looks as if Salvarius has learnt paranoia since my previous infiltration.'
The sewers had no turnings or alternate routes, they either passed through the door or gave up, it was the only way in.
Judicael mused at the seemingly impenetrable object. 'Give me but a moment to study it. Anything that can be built can be unmade with the right hands.'
The thief carefully drew a small vial he had secreted in a hidden pocket. Unstopping the sandy-coloured vessel, he proceeded to approach the door with a look of extreme concentration.
After a time he stretched his arm out, as if happy to have ascertained what he thought was the correct way to proceed. A bright liquid seeped out of the bottle in a fine line that had previously been invisible upon the face of the door. The thief tossed the bottle onto the sewer floor and quickly drew back upwind of the results. 'Stand clear Elf, this corrosion is poisonous to me and probably you.'
El-Vador nodded and crouched beside the thief, observing the liquid eating away at the door. 'How long will it take to open?'
'A matter of minutes, just stay patient. It depends on just how thick that door really is.' Judicael pointed toward a smoking seam that was developing in the middle of the door. 'See? There are few things that can withstand the acidic compound that I procure.'
The Elf rose and delivered a swift kick to the door, taking care not to get any of the bubbling compound upon his boot. The doors parted without effort, swinging inward and permitting them passage into the deeper parts of the sewers.
The smell was much worse as they proceeded deeper into the burrow. Growths creeping up the walls seemingly fed off the waste and contributed to the stench, almost causing the Elf to gag.
The one benefit of their passing the door was the branching passageways that extended to the left and right, with the floor sloping upward. Picking a direction, they pushed on. The tunnel broadened, as did the flow through it. Two more tunnels joined it at a collecting pool, and their path continued on straight across. Foetid bubbles rose to the pool's turgid surface, bursting through a filthy brown layer. El-Vador probed it experimentally with the tip of his sword. 'It does not appear to be deep, in spite of the flow.'
The thief restrained him with a hand to the chest. 'Caution, Elf.'
Dark shadows moved within the water, attracted to the disturbance the sword had caused.
El-Vador frowned. 'I could have sworn that the pool was shallow'
'The sewage of these places always gives that impression.' Judicael replied, moving on. 'There are things lurking within that do not sleep, be wary.'
El-Vador followed the thief, keeping his eyes on every bubbling pool of sewage and checking his feet constantly with every step.
The thief smiled. 'Now you move with a caution that is merited, Salvarius will not see us coming.'
The Elf remembered how easily the man had captured him before. 'I hope you are right.'
From above, distant yet powerful, a scream sounded.
The Elf turned toward the thief, his face taut. 'So much for stealth. Follow me if you can.'
Without further word, he plunged into darkness beyond.
Mina observed Aliana, revelling in the sensation of their growing inexorably closer. Aliana's form was bound, and her daze was imposed from another stab of venom that she had administered recently.
'It will not be long now, I can feel it drawing nearer.'
Aliana's eyes betrayed the faintest hint of anger in their stupor as she looked up at what appeared to be a mirror image of herself. 'He is coming. It matters not if the bond is complete, he will find you and he will kill you.'
Mina let out a laugh, but it was strained by the memory of the racing figure in her dreams. 'I will let you in on a secret of mine, dearest twin.'
Aliana said nothing in response.
'I do not entirely know how to perform this bonding.' Mina crossed the room and observed something beyond Aliana's sight. 'I am a quick study though, much too quick for your saviour to kill me before it is complete. Which means that should he break through all of Salvarius's defences he must kill you in order to kill me.'
'It matters not what he does to you.' Aliana smiled slowly. 'So long as Salvarius dies before he can use the artefact.'
Mina let pride smother the spark of fear in her belly. 'Nothing will stop my master.'
She turned and purposely refused to face the identical figure she held captive. No, she would not be goaded or bullied into submission by the will of this other. She would complete the bonding and then present herself unto her master, the Elf would be a fool to storm such a heavily guarded burrow without an army at his back. She contented herself with the fact that in her dreams he had come alone.
'You are spirited in your objections, but ultimately my will is cast iron and shall dominate. It is I who will initiate the bonding and I who shall control it.'
The clarity of Aliana's laugh caused Mina to flinch. 'Your bluster betrays your weakness. Are you really that terrified of matching your wits against one of the Brotherhood?'
'An outcast of the Brotherhood.' Mina licked her lips. 'One who has not mastered the intricacies that I have studied for many years in the ether, one who would be engulfed by the full power at my command. You seek to rattle me with your proclamations, it is I who finds you wanting as a result.'
Aliana did not reply.
'We must continue growing closer.' Mina glided in, whispering in the Pixie's ear. 'You see, I know the need that you feel. The drawing and yearning that has tugged at you for many miles, for I possess it too. Eventually you will succumb to the desire eating away at you and our bonding shall begin in earnest.'
Aliana turned, her voice low. 'I would sooner kill you first than join with you.'
'You are bound, you will never have the chance.'
'If I do not, I will make certain upon meeting El-Vador that we both die.'
Mina smiled, unperturbed by the response. 'There will be nothing left of you by the time I meet this El-Vador.'
The tunnels progressed deeper into the bowels of the burrow the further they went along them. El-Vador and Judicael moved as one as they sprinted through the twists and turns on instinct alone. The thief was agile and seemed to keep up with the Elf's frenetic pace without issue. Together they raced down roughly-hewn steps and the tunnel broadened out before them, some kind of junction where all the previous tunnels met to form a giant pool of bubbling sewage. Cages on chains hung in the darker depths, connected together by a series of stone bridges that descended into the heart of the burrow.
El-Vador took all this in with a glance, then focused on the giant brute rising from across the cavern to deal death unto the intrusion. Corded with muscle and bare-chested, the Orc had the look of a former Champion that had gone to seed. He did not stop to consider what such a vile creature could have done to have duty amongst the foetid waste of his betters.
The giant pointed at the interlopers and uttered a curse, loping toward them with a large axe in hand.
As if on command, other Orcs spilled from the tunnels and brandished bludgeoning weapons, looking to overwhelm the Elf and his companion by terror and sheer numbers alone.
Judicael reacted instantly, hands flashing as he leapt down upon one of the swaying cages. Knives flew from his flowing arms and gutted several of the Orcs, who fell into the swampy pool of excrement before them.
El-Vador roared forward, his sword coming up in an arc that opened an Orc from hip to shoulder. He fell back, causing one of the other Orcs to stumble and fall into the pool. A third Orc lunged with a club. El-Vador sidestepped it, then engulfed the creature in a dark surge of power. The Elf kicked the body into the pool and continued to advance upon the Champion.
The beast brandished his axe with telling proficiency, whirling it in an intricate arc that pre
vented El-Vador from charging inside his swing. He moved forward slowly, eyes only seeing his opponent as the thief battled on against the other Orcs. 'Come, Elf, I have been expecting your arrival.'
The Elf went for him, and hit the floor immediately and rolled upon Judicael's cry of warning. Turning toward a distinct sound, he watched the bolt sweep through the air just above his head.
The Orc growled in displeasure. 'You have foiled my surprise. I suppose my pet will have to dispose of you. Arise my sweet, I have fresh Elven meat for you!'
El-Vador knew what it was before it crested the surface, he had faced something similar that hunted the burrow of Harg. He rose and instinctively felt his leg tense up, the previous beast had nearly crushed it in the ensuing struggle.
This horror was clearly larger and more well-fed than the one he had mastered, and he couldn't dare turn his back to the Champion in order observe it for long.
'Fight the beast and I shall strike you down as surely as you breathe.' the Orc stated, swinging his axe ominously. 'Fight me and my pet shall grasp you from behind. What will you do, Elf?'
'Take the beast!' Judicael bellowed to him as he swept up to engage the Champion from outside of El-Vador's periphery.
The thief was no slouch with his daggers, cutting inside the Champion's defences and drawing blood, but the Elf had no time to observe the conflict.
Instead he dropped his weapon, extending his arms forth and blasting the waters with darkness before the tendrils of the Champion's pet could get to their crushing work.
It had taken all he could muster to put down a much smaller monster than this one, he had been rendered all but unconscious after his efforts. This creature bore the brunt of the Brotherhood's training, of El-Vador's greater understanding of the power he possessed. How it was now fuelled by the need that the voice had to prevent the usage of this artefact by Salvarius. He channelled all of it into a streaming poison that permeated the bubbling lake, and before the beast could haul itself out of the murky depths it was too late. It sucked in the deadly water and thrashed about, still too distant from the Elf or the thief to do either any harm, then it sank without a trace.
El-Vador's Travels Page 46