by Kris Kramer
Chapter 36
Cadman strode through waterlogged passages in search of his prey. Making no effort to hide his presence or intentions, the giant firbolg waded noisily through rank water that rose almost as high as the tops of his boots. His trusty two-handed sword led the way. Sometimes he swore the weapon had a mind of its own, a mind that constantly sought a new home inside anyone near at hand.
The halls resounded with the echoes of his feet splashing in the dirty water, yet he’d encountered no dracolich spawn. When those Anduains had dropped from the ceiling, and almost crushed him, he’d suspected that the dragon’s guards would infuriatingly go into hiding. At least, of course, until they’d sent scouts to spy on the Anduain strength, of which there was little in that group. The scouts’ unintelligible cries that had beckoned Cadman away from those weak Anduains could easily have been a call to retreat, or just a diversion.
All Cadman knew for sure was now the bastards were nowhere to be found.
Once again he found himself sloshing through the greenish blue soup where the other Anduains had appeared. Before their interruption, he’d discovered a convenient loop of tunnels that had offered plenty of willing victims to slay in his quest to hone his skills. Now the halls stood still and quiet, other than the incessant dripping of water from every crack in every wall. Cadman’s arms tensed, not so much under the weight of his giant sword, but more from anticipating some deadly ambush.
When none came, Cadman lowered his guard, but never stopped listening.
Taking full advantage of the sudden idle time, Cadman sat and rested his large frame on a slightly elevated step of blue stone that ran along the length of the foot of the wall. Leaning back against the moss-covered wall, a sudden weariness descended over his mind, clouding his senses. His monumental head slowly nodded forward as long-ignored fatigue imposed its will, despite his protests.
Cadman jerked awake and glanced around anxiously. How long had he been out?
It was impossible to tell the time in the dank reaches of Teekwood Caverns, but he suspected his eyes had only closed for a moment. Looking around again, Cadman noticed for the first time that the passageway streaming along in front of him appeared to have no definitive light sources, yet there was an ambient glow. Other tunnels at this level featured grand magical torches, or even just regular torches, placed by more recent explorers.
A memory flowed smoothly through his groggy brain.
About one year ago, Cadman had led a handful of elite soldiers through Teekwood Caverns. They’d received word that a contingent of Calderans had broken through the defenses at the caverns’ only known entrance. The Reds had been spotted entering a new passage, apparently with the intent of raiding the Anduain archaeologists working diligently to loot some grave site. Cadman’s crew had held no interest in the moral or ethical issues brought up by assisting Anduains engaged in illegal activities, but they did enjoy a good scrap with the Reds.
Cadman’s group had walked brazenly down the tunnel, dousing all of the flames hung on the walls by the explorers below. Nearing the grave site in question, Cadman had observed a scene that would have turned the stomachs of most. In his mind’s eye, he could still see it all so clearly, and the emotions returned just as strongly as ever.
Blood of fallen Anduains coated the walls of the small crypt in gory splatters. Beyond the mutilated corpses littering the floor, seven or eight Calderans taunted and beat a small, bloodied female elf. She refused to give them the satisfaction of a scream as they maliciously stripped her down. Cadman didn’t need his imagination to ascertain their grim intentions.
With a cry of raw rage, he’d launched himself and his small band down the tunnel, charging with weapons drawn. They continued to toss down the torches, darkening the space around them, hiding their numbers. Cadman still smiled at what the Calderans must’ve felt, staring up the passageway and seeing ghostly forms screaming towards them, the tunnel closing around them as darkness rushed with the incoming Anduains.
As any good soldier would, Cadman reveled in the action of saving the poor elf from a fate worse than death. Those supposedly holy priests and palatines of Caldera had deserved an end far more painful than the prompt dispatch given by Cadman’s companions, but at the end of the day, one Anduain life had been spared.
If only I was strong enough to save them all.
The vision of the past faded from view and Cadman now more closely examined the slime coating the walls of the wet, expansive tunnel. Was he imagining things, or did the green muck itself emit a slight glow? Cadman knew little about plants, but this growth fascinated him. How could a plant, if that was really what this was, grow in the absence of sunlight, yet also generate its own light? The idle questions mounted up and up, leading nowhere.
Cadman thought about the Anduains who’d passed through the tunnel earlier. What had they said they were doing? Searching for some friends? Stupid. None of those Anduains had the experience or know-how to successfully navigate the caverns this far down. A year ago, Cadman would’ve felt obligated to lead the band of novices around and perhaps teach them some useful lessons in survival. He sighed deeply. A lot had happened since then, since his final mission.
His eyes started to droop once more as he sat and listened to the quiet lapping of the murky water around his boots. With his eyes closed, he could almost imagine sitting in a glade, hearing the soothing murmurs of a crystal-clear stream.
Very quickly, Cadman was fording a small river east of Teekwood, seven young soldiers splashing along with him, well behind the relative safety of the Anduain strongholds in western Astrovia. The fresh recruits had recently graduated from their respective training schools and then transferred into the care of Cadman, a captain in the Anduain army. He would’ve much rather remained on the frontlines of the war with Bergmark and Caldera, but he always bowed to the wisdom of King Darren. Experienced soldiers and leaders needed to introduce the most promising recruits to the defense of Andua. These students had been entrusted to Cadman to get them operating at a high level as quickly as possible. Lesser students went to lesser teachers.
This simple reconnaissance mission should’ve provided no challenge for even the least of Cadman’s charges. Each had proven very capable in training, and Cadman had to fight to contain a smile as they worked so hard to impress him with their abilities. He would’ve never guessed that teaching would bring him any joy, but he had to admit that seeing the fruits of his labor growing before his eyes had a certain attraction.
Watching his understudies cross the river, Cadman noticed the sky darken severely. Within moments, he found himself totally immersed in a dense, thick fog. The sudden sounds of battle roared around him, but he couldn’t see anything. Running in every direction revealed nothing. His own hand wasn’t even visible right in front of his face. The solid darkness gripped him bodily and weighed him down, forcing him to his knees.
The battle now whispered, fading away into the distance. His cries went unanswered. Where were his companions? What was happening?
Kill me! Come back here and kill me!
Where did those words come from? Did he say them?
Now only the bubbling flow of the stream remained, a relative silence compared to the violent trauma that had passed.
Cadman’s eyes shot open and he leapt to his feet. Cold sweat poured over his entire body. Swinging his sword around in a circle, the soldier searched for his assailants.
Only the gentle sounds of the caverns’ waters greeted him.
With a weary sigh, Cadman sheathed his weapon and placed a hand against the slime-covered wall. He leaned forward, head bowed, frustration washing over him anew. The nightmares visited his sleep more and more these days. The druids had said his pain would ease with time, but there was no escape from the constant mental reminders of his failure.
Mercifully, the humiliating feelings of defeat and loss passed quickly. Cadman stood up
straight and reconsidered his situation. A deep-seated resolve wormed its way up, a resolve that couldn’t be held in check by failure alone. The determination that had made Cadman one of the great soldiers of his time now squashed the petty emotions eating at his spirit.
A mission had effectively fallen into his lap and he, in his preoccupation and self-pity, had missed a redemptive opportunity. What kind of soldier would possibly leave the fate of such an inexperienced group in the hands of a low-ranking Thorn and a—
A nuathreen mage wielding the staff of a wraith and possessing the bearing of real experience.
Cadman slapped himself on the forehead as his memory finally engaged and he recalled the identity of that nuathreen accompanying the group. Upon seeing the wraith, Cadman had felt suspicious. A spell-caster like that diving around in the dangerous reaches of the caverns with a group of novices hadn’t made much sense, but that meant little now.
Frantic to redeem yet another mistake, Cadman rushed after the group, splashing through the shallow water, retracing the steps of those he’d abandoned to the wraith.
To the traitor.
Grim adrenaline drove him through the crack in the wall that he believed the young group had taken. His heart sank as he realized the destination awaiting him at the end of the passageway.
The lair of the dracolich.
No noise echoed through the narrow tunnel, so his hopes rose slightly. Perhaps there was still time to save them, time to save himself. If he could reach them before the guardians of the dracolich awoke their undead master—
He erupted into the gigantic cavern as a wall of sound hit him bodily. Undaunted by the terrible battle cries and ear-piercing screams of the dracolich’s army below, Cadman raced across the first section of the natural rock pathway suspended above the cavern floor. He rounded a curve in the elevated bridge and found himself staring at a stream of warriors from every nation, all rushing in the direction that he wished to go. A mixture of Bergsbor, Anduains, and Calderans all flowed in a chaotic procession down a ramp to the cavern floor, intermingling with the dracolich’s minions below, but not engaging them.
How had this many Bergsbor and Calderans gotten down here? The only entrance to the caverns Cadman had ever heard of was the main Teekwood Forest entrance that was guarded by Anduain soldiers, albeit a little lightly for Cadman’s taste, despite the ceasefire.
And why would all these sworn enemies move together like this? And with creatures of darkness in tow?
It didn’t make any sense. It was as if all these parties had one goal in common. Cadman paused to take stock of the situation. From his high vantage point, he could see the conglomeration of supposed enemies all funneling into a series of switchback ramps leading up to the dracolich’s lair at the far end of the cavern. And at the top of this path stood a Thorn and some other small warrior, holding their ground as best they could. Maybe they weren’t as dumb as they looked. These young Anduains were taking advantage of a bottleneck to reduce the power of the enemy’s sheer strength of numbers.
Cadman knew that he should be up there with them. Hopefully the rest of their group was up on the ledge behind them and not dead under the trampling feet of the enemy, an enemy made up of four different groups that should be fighting each other and not together. In fact, he found it very odd that none of the enemies running past him had noticed him nor deemed him a threat.
“No matter. I’ll make them regret this mistake,” Cadman said aloud with a grin, his words lost in the continuous racket of the frenzied army all around him.
He wasted no time and darted forward towards the enemy, his weapon ready to slice a path through the torrent of targets before him. As he ran, another thought occurred to him. Instead of gouging his way through the vast numbers, he instead inserted himself into the wave rushing down towards the cavern floor.
And they completely ignored him. The mindless herd swarmed chaotically and Cadman had to vie for his position, forcing others out of his way to maintain a place on the edge of the pack. Funneling down the ramp, Cadman observed the same glazed look on all the faces of those around him, their eyes all set on the poor Anduains fighting above.
Halfway down the ramp, some loose gravel caused Cadman to slip, and the oversized firbolg fell against a dwarf in front of him. The squat Bergsbor fell flailing off the edge of the descending path. His cry of surprise was cut short after falling twenty feet onto his head. Despite his scream being lost in the din all around, the dwarf’s absence apparently drew some attention from those around Cadman. A look into the glaring faces surrounding him hinted that the jig was up.
Without waiting for their response, Cadman preemptively swung his great sword in a wide frontal arc, cleaving some space to work in. The hordes collapsed upon him, but he pressed forward, ignoring the dings and smacks of various weapons on his armor and on the giant shield covering his back. Cadman figured that his main goal was to make it up the switchback ramps ahead. Failing that, he would take down as many enemies with him as possible.
All before him fell in droves as he continued to swing his weapon powerfully back and forth. The punishment soaked up by his armor started to take its toll, but he had a trick or two up his sleeve. Cries of defeat around Cadman intensified when he allowed his shade to soak into his body, just enough to take the edge off the pain.
The enemy looked on in dismay as Cadman pushed on with renewed vigor, now oblivious to the injuries inflicted by only the relatively few brave enemies who dared attack him. Terrified warriors broke away, and those remaining felt the wrath of Cadman’s enormous blade. He quickly reached the bottom of the path leading up to his goal. Lowering his head, Cadman drove upwards, battering a torrent of enemies over the edge of the inclined pathway.
Rampaging through the opposition, he felt his shade edging further into him than was safe. Resisting the strong urge to embrace the power of pure, unbridled rage, Cadman broke the bond and focused on pushing the shade back out. He hesitated a second to make sure it had fully released its talons from his soul. The consequences of leaving the shade’s hooks unchecked could be dire, but Cadman sensed the presence was completely gone.
My darkness walks beside me.
A lone dracolich guardian leapt onto his back, clawing and slashing at his helm. Now separated from his shade, Cadman felt the stabs and scratches intensely, but the pain only drove his fury. With a snarl, and without breaking his stride, Cadman reached back and gripped the monster by the neck. In a sudden and shocking movement, he ripped out the beast’s throat and tossed it aside as a bloodied shriek erupted and the mutilated guardian fell to the floor.
Slashing and crashing through enemies, Cadman burst from the masses and finally found himself facing the group of Anduains that he’d abandoned what seemed like only moments ago. Exhaustion threatened to slow him down, but the adrenaline flowed when the Thorn spiraled towards him with red blades lashing out. Confused, but not stupid, Cadman parried the attack away and yelled at the Thorn to stop.
The human looked confused for only a moment before recognizing him. After all, Cadman didn’t look much like the mangy mob of enemies enveloping the Anduains. One glance at him was enough for the average foe to think twice, and usually thrice, about attacking. Using this to his advantage, Cadman loosed a battle roar that eclipsed the screams and cries of the enemy. The opposing frontline hesitated and took a decided step back.
“We need to push them back to get out,” he yelled at his new companions, instinctively taking the lead. “We need to move before they wake up the dracoli—”
He was interrupted by an ear-piercing shriek of unimaginable proportions. Initially both sides of the fight paused and glanced around anxiously. The cavern grew deathly quiet for a moment. Cadman’s weary muscles would’ve appreciated the small break, but he couldn’t bring himself to relax. He could see all of his Anduains were still in one piece, but he suspected that might change on the way out if the dracolich had just
risen.
A second terrifying shriek reverberated around the cavern and the enemy hordes roared in celebration as the monstrous dracolich ambled onto the wide ledge behind the Anduains. The ground shook violently under the weight of the enormous undead dragon. Red eyes glowed inside a skull missing large portions of its decaying, grey flesh. The skeletal structure of enormous wings arched out from its back, skin and flesh completely absent. Cadman’s new companions looked to him with genuine fear plastered across their faces, except for the Thorn. A cocky smile hung confidently on the man’s face.
A third shriek forced Cadman into action.
“Let’s move,” he said.
Nobody moved.
“Now!”
The enemy ranks had reformed after Cadman’s barrage, and they started to push up the switchbacks again. With the slow-moving dracolich pounding along the ledge behind them, the Anduains followed Cadman headlong into the waiting jaws of the enemy.
Dracolich guards snapped and clawed at Cadman as he led the way, forming a void around himself with his giant sword. Beside him, the Thorn spun through attacks and separated heads from shoulders in spectacular showers of blood. Just behind Cadman, a girl darted to and fro, careening into enemies with her shield, knocking them flat for the druid’s wolf to finish off.
The sudden surge of coordination impressed Cadman as he plowed through foe after foe, not taking the time to worry about killing fellow Anduains in the enemy army. As far as he was concerned, they’d abandoned Andua when they joined up with these creatures.
Rocks from above started to fall as the dragon marched right above the escaping Anduains. Fireballs shot from its mouth, barely missing Cadman multiple times. He pushed on, unaffected. The group reached the cavern floor and ran straight into another wave of winged guardians. Cadman ducked instinctively as a shower of purple orbs blazed over his head from behind. The swirling orbs penetrated the skulls of the enemy, who suddenly grabbed at their own heads and writhed around on the ground, screaming horribly.
He turned just briefly to see an elf holding her arms outstretched in the shape of a cross, an ancient spell flowing from her mouth, her domination magic executing its wrath on their enemies. Without more time to observe the elegant dominator, Cadman pressed on.
The wretches around him scratched at their heads feverishly enough to break their own skulls, making Cadman’s job far easier as he trampled over them, heading towards the ramp leading back up to the bridge they needed to reach. Pushing forward through the droves of attackers, Cadman only paused when the ground under his feet shook so hard that he flipped onto his back. Glancing back he saw the dracolich had leapt from the top of the ledge straight down to the cavern floor.
Bolts of energy erupted from the dragon, scattering death in every direction. Searing pain darted through Cadman’s entire body as the evil energy assaulted him. Through barely open eyes, he could see the enemy ranks regaining their feet and forming up to finish off the incapacitated Anduains.
“So this is how I die,” he mumbled as he feebly raised himself into a crawling position, still unable to give up, despite his current state.
The enemy army must have assembled themselves in suitable numbers, because then Cadman heard a terrible battle cry ring out all around. The ground trembled now with the charging feet of a hundred hell-bent enemies. It would all be over soon.
A soft voice pierced the dark, tumultuous noise all around. Cadman turned to see a druid standing amongst her fallen friends, chanting out what he recognized as the most powerful healing spell known in Andua. Knowing that he would be fully recovered in about two seconds, Cadman prepared himself for a final confrontation with the incoming enemy. They would not take him without obscene losses on their part.
The soothing words of the spell hit him like a mule kick to the backside. The entire group of Anduains leapt up and charged the enemy, engaging them in a last stand for the bards to sing of for years to come.
As long as one of us lives to tell the tale.
Cadman fought valiantly, slashing enemies in two as they came at him three or four at a time. Their blood now layered his armor in crimson streaks. He looked to his left and saw the young girl with the shield charging through a crowd of the enemy untouched. She was yelling something unintelligible. That stupid girl! It was only a matter of time before they noticed her and killed her.
The soldier in Cadman automatically drove him in her direction, but the enemy swarmed him incessantly, halting his progress. Despite his cries for her to stop, she just kept running, screaming the name Ruaidhri. Cadman didn’t understand, but he couldn’t dwell on it. The enemy had them surrounded again and the undead dragon now approached, thumping the ground so heavily that Cadman could hardly remain upright.
He looked over the enemy army one more time and saw the girl slip through a crack in the wall, apparently unharmed.
“Perhaps I’ve saved one,” he muttered to himself as he watched his death approach once more.
But yet again, I couldn’t save them all.
To Be Continued in…
Rise of Cithria Part 2 - The Descent
Click to go to the amazon page for The Descent
The fragile truce between the three kingdoms is no more. The armies of Andua, Bergmark, and Caldera wage war against each other on blood-strewn battlefields, but it’s the mysteries below that summon our heroes ever deeper into the unknown.
The disgraced soldier Aiden and his ragtag Calderan allies have ventured north, into the deadly lands between Caldera and Andua, only to be waylaid by both Anduain and Bergsbor armies. In the caves below Teekwood Forest, the timid Eilidh gathered Anduain friends to help her find her lost love, only to run away during their darkest hour. And Pjodarr, Gruesome, Tarac and Blade, proud warriors of Bergmark, continue their dangerous hunt for rampaging havtrols, even into the bowels of the world itself.
Death, danger, and despair await our heroes as they embark on a journey that will take them not only into the depths of a lost city, but into the twisted remains of their own past. Something terrible has chosen them, and now they must face their destiny. Cithria is rising, and a dark power rises with it.
Another Note from the Authors
Reviews are the lifeblood of indie authors.
Also, please visit https://www.the4threalm.com and sign up for our newsletter to keep up with all the latest releases from our talented crew! Check out the next page of this book for a listing of other works from all of us at The 4th Realm.
Thanks for reading!
Kris Kramer, Alistair McIntyre, and Patrick Underhill
Other Works by Authors from the4threalm.com
Olympia
A science fiction from Kris Kramer about the Greek gods returning to rule the world. First in the Olympus trilogy.
“What I enjoyed most of this book was a fusion of antiquity and dystopia.” (Amazon.com review)
The Extraction
Some over-the-top crime fiction fun from Kris Kramer. Book 1 of The Organization
“If the author's other works are anything like this one I will be purchasing and reading all of his work.” (Amazon.com review)
Phalanx Alpha
An expansive sci-fi thriller from Alistair McIntyre
“…would recommend it for anyone, not just science fiction fans.” (Amazon.com review)
Sanctuary
A dark, historical fantasy novel by Kris Kramer. First in the Dominion Series
“Not only could I not put this book down, I want more!” (Amazon.com review)
Shallow Creek
A West Texas Thriller written by our resident Scot, Alistair McIntyre
“The mysteries and twists made me not want to stop reading.” (Amazon.com review)
The Wind Riders
A new young adult fantasy from Kris Kramer. First in the Tales of the Lore Valley series.
re this book with friends