by Rosie Scott
Gift. I perked up out of my thoughts and grabbed my satchel, pulling it onto my lap and digging through it.
“Are you hungry?” Azazel questioned. “I have mushrooms.”
I smiled at his instantaneous concern. “No. I have something for you.”
“Something else?”
“Mmhmm. Let me have your left hand.” With the ring I'd bought for him safe and concealed in one hand, I chuckled softly as Azazel gave me his left hand along with a suspicious expression. “Don't look for a moment.” I slipped the ring delicately on his finger, desperately relieved when I found my measurements had been correct.
“You're giving me one of your rings?” Azazel smiled at me as he waited to look down at it.
“Not exactly. You can look.” I waited with bated breath as he did. His face sobered once he studied it with his superior eyes.
“These are my weapons,” he murmured, running a finger over the ring's engraving.
“And your name,” I told him, tapping the ring on either side of its face. “I want to eventually get these made for all of the Renegades. With different engravings, of course. Look inside the band, too.”
Azazel loosened the ring over his finger, reading inside it. His face brightened. “Time for chaos,” he read aloud. “I said that to you in Hazarmaveth just before we worked together to cause the explosions.”
I nodded. “That's why I had it engraved. I will forever remember that because it was the first thing you said to me while you looked truly happy.”
“I was happy.” Azazel pulled the ring back over his finger, letting it settle in its rightful place as if it had always belonged there. “We worked well together. I took care of you, you took care of me.”
“That's how it'll always be.” I pulled him close to my side. “Do you like it? You don't normally wear jewelry.”
“I love it. Thank you. I hope you didn't spend any gold on it, though.”
“A whole coin purse full.”
“Kai.” It was said as if he were scolding me.
I chuckled. “You're worth it.” I leaned my head against his upper shoulder with overwhelming fatigue. “You should see your face when you get gifts. So happy, so surprised. I'm going to keep getting you things just to see it again and again. You'll have so much shit you won't know what to do with it.”
Azazel laughed softly, his shoulder shaking beneath my heavy head. “You'll never be able to beat tonight, though. You've given me more than I could have ever wanted, Kai.”
His happiness was contagious, and I found myself smiling as I drifted off to sleep against his shoulder. His last words floated through my head, slower and slower over time as I lost grasp of consciousness.
“You've given me more than I could have ever wanted.”
No, I haven't, I thought tiredly. Not yet.
*
89th of New Moon, 427
Though it was just two days before the start of the hottest season of the year, my body shook with a chill. The rocky path beneath our boots was dusted with snow. Ice crystals danced across the gray stone beneath late afternoon sunlight before drifting off into the abyss below in small bursts of wind.
Our travels to the forgotten tunnel of the Olympia mines had taken longer than I'd hoped. We were a week later than my initial estimate because our detour had been harsh and unforgiving. I could only imagine the turmoil that Cerin and the others were going through as they wondered if our assault had failed. Not only were we late, but we hadn't even started to infiltrate the city yet. I prayed the Sentinels would make the right decision to give us more time.
The path ahead continued around the mountainside, but a tunnel entrance that was barely more than a sliver of absent rock stuck out like a sore thumb. Just to the right of the black unknown of its contents, a thick strip of red canvas had been tied to an outreach of rock. The bright red was a beacon amongst gray rock and falling snow.
A hand grabbed my left arm as Azazel stopped me from walking forward. Out of everyone here, the trip had been hardest on me. I'd often run into Than's back because I hadn't known she'd slowed her pace. The cold weather of the upper peaks had been hell, for I'd left my royal cloak behind with the rest of our army's supplies and instead wore the thin black cloak Jakan and Anto had gifted me long ago. The clothing had been fine to wear in warm weather and had less risk of making noise during stealth, but it offered me little in terms of comfort now against the biting cold.
With a glance behind me, I noticed that the footprints of the army were slowly being whisked away with the winds as we waited for whatever Azazel had planned. It was a good sign. The invisibility could not prevent us from leaving tracks.
I heard the sliding of an arrow over steel and looked forward again. I could see nothing coming from the tunnel or path ahead, but I trusted Azazel's judgment.
Seconds ticked by as we waited. Finally, I heard the echoing of a voice off of the stone walls of the tunnel, and two shadows slowly made their way toward us from within. One was tall, like an elf, and the other was short and stocky.
“...snowing again. Gah. I hate mountain weather.” As the tall shadow came to the tunnel exit, the late afternoon sun shone over the man. He was Celdic, with chestnut hair that hung to his lower torso. The skin of his face looked rough and gaunt, with dark spots beneath his eyes. I figured him to be a user of rempka since he appeared perpetually sick. When he spoke, a black hole appeared where one of his front teeth should have been.
The other shadow exited the tunnel next, revealing it to belong to a dwarven woman of four and a half feet. She had hair of copper and muscles that bulged so thick in her armor that the leather was cracked from misfitting. She spit loudly on the stone near her boots as she stared at the path ahead, looking straight through us and beyond. “Quit your whinin',” she told her friend with a voice so robust it almost sounded masculine. “We'll be in Celendar before ya know it.”
“Celendar is moons away,” the Celd replied, taking the time to pull a hood over his head. “They don't want us there, either.”
“I don't give a damn about what they want,” the dwarf replied, chuckling roughly. “They won't keep me from makin' my gold.”
“Nah, not anymore,” the Celd agreed. “Never seen the place so busy before we left it.”
“That's why I love this war,” the dwarf said, laughing joyously as she dug through a satchel at her hip and brought out a flask. She took a swig from it before offering it to the Celd. The elf shrugged it away, so she replaced it. “Everybody's runnin' around losing their damn minds. Not a' one of them notices when stuff goes missin'.”
“And they're so willing to make deals all of a sudden,” the Celd added happily, starting to walk down the path as the two prepared to make their journey. “Wonder why Celendar's so worried about their forest. Can necromancers kill forests? I thought they just dealt with the dead.”
“What do ya think plants are, ya dolt?” The dwarf retorted. “Gods, you're a Celd, ain't ya? Figure it out.”
The Celd laughed and waved off her harsh words. “Celd by race only. Was dishonorably discharged from the Knights, as a matter of fact.”
“Don't tell me that boring story again,” the dwarf lamented. “I swear, if I have to hear one more time about—”
Shik!
A black arrow stuck out from the woman's left eye, stopping her complaints short. As death claimed her, the look of surprise on her face faded. The stocky corpse collapsed to the ground, and the Celd started to panic, bronze eyes flicking every which direction as he tried to find the culprit.
“What the...?” He backed into the stone mountainside, moving slowly backward to the tunnel entrance. I realized now why Azazel had waited so long to shoot. Even if the Celd ran, he wouldn't have time to make it to the tunnel again to warn anyone.
Shik!
The next arrow punctured the Celd's left eye, but its angle was off. The arrowhead had split the organ while pointed toward his temple, so it hadn't hit his brain. The man grasped
at his eye as panicked breaths rang out through the air. He fell down the stone wall, collapsing in a heap at its base.
“Shit! Gods! I'm sorry! Whatever I've done to you, I'm sorry!” Blood ran down his cheek after escaping the protection of his hand. Tears of pain moistened the other eye just before it too was split by an arrow. The Celd's body finally relaxed with death.
Azazel retrieved his ammo, and I only knew because the arrows slowly removed themselves before going invisible once they were affected by the illusion spell. Both of the bodies were pulled to the edge of the path before they were pushed over, where we heard the crunch of them breaking on the way down through harsh vibrations against cold rock.
I felt someone flick me in the arm. “This is it,” Than's voice informed me, as my eyes fell once more on the tunnel ahead. “Direct route to Olympia, as you ordered.”
“Thank you,” I said softly to her, before whispering, “Nyx!”
“Yeah?” To my right.
“How many of our soldiers can you see?”
“A couple, if they're in the light.” Nyx huffed. “My eyes aren't as good as Azazel's, you know.”
“Do you need me?” Azazel's voice came from my left. I hadn't known he was back.
“Yes. I can't see a thing. You probably heard what Than said. Once we breach that tunnel, we will separate. I need to give my final orders, but I can't see the people I have to give them to.”
“Give them to me,” Azazel requested. “I'll handle it.”
“Once they're past that entrance, they are free to infiltrate and attack at will. Silence and secrecy are key. We need as much time as possible to work through this giant city. Top priority is dismantling defenses and collecting intel. They can kill if they have to. Conceal bodies whenever possible. Civilian casualties should be kept to a minimum. They can work alone, together, however they want. As long as they stay quiet and do not go into open battle until my war horn.”
“They will still be overwhelmed if they give away their location at the time of the signal,” Azazel replied. “Your war horn will alert the other armies to attack, but they won't arrive for hours.”
“Right,” I agreed, “but I'm just saying they need to wait at least until then. Because I'll be using the horn, the dwarves will be alerted to my presence. Mine. If anything, the dwarves will overwhelm us, Azazel. You and I.”
“I'll stay close to you, too,” Nyx said beside me.
“Okay. So there are three of us, and hordes of them. If anything, I want the Alderi to know they can aid us if the time comes.”
“Is that all?” Azazel questioned.
“Yes. And wish them good luck with their mission.”
I waited as Azazel passed on my orders to the men and women I couldn't see. Between the brisk mountain winds, I could sometimes hear their murmuring as they repeated orders to one another. Based on the few words I did understand, they were happy with my orders. I knew how much the Alderi loved to explore and investigate, so giving them the freedom to go wherever they wanted in the city as long as they worked on their task not only made them happy, it would be a benefit to us. Their scrutiny would hopefully mean that most of Olympia would be combed over by the time I needed to give the signal for the rest of the army to attack.
“Orders given,” I heard Azazel's voice again just as he tugged softly at my arm to alert me to his presence. “They are informed and ready.”
I stared forward at the tunnel, attempting to release most of my stress through labored exhales. Not only would taking Olympia be challenging, but it would also be the catalyst leading to the final stages of the war. There was no way to take this city without inviting open retaliation from Hammerton and Chairel alike. In a way, this was the beginning of the end.
I smiled as I thought of Sirius and his reaction to hearing news of our assault on Hammerton. I hoped he would fear my slow approach to all he held dear. I hoped his last years alive would be full of fear, turmoil, and regrets. I would ensure his cruel treatment of many of the people I loved would be his downfall.
With my mind swarming with thoughts of vengeance, I felt a new surge of motivation and purpose. I took a step forward, leading my army straight into the tunnels of Olympia.
Onward.
Seventeen
Dirt and the grit of stone coated the inside of my nostrils as we quietly sneaked through the beginning tunnel. It started off thin and dark but soon opened into a roughly edged room of stone with whole sections of the wall removed. Because of the harsh, rugged rock, I believed it to be the last segments the dwarves had mined before realizing the veins of gem had run out. There were no mining materials left here anymore. The tunnel had been abandoned for a while.
I held on to the back of Azazel's belt as we continued on. As was the case in Hazarmaveth, I trusted his senses to lead us through, but holding on to him was the only way I could have any idea of where he was. He was as quiet as death, but so was everyone else. It was baffling to think that an entire army was infiltrating this city in such silence.
The open room led to another tunnel, which curved slightly to the left. As soon as we walked through this section, the light of the outside no longer reached us. Blackness fell over us like a curtain, and though I was tempted to enhance my vision, I decided to save my energy and use Azazel as my eyes and ears. I could not rely on leeching to refuel my reserves unless I was willing to compromise our position.
I closed my eyes, following Azazel and relying on my hearing to take over. These tunnels were mostly rock, letting the slightest noise echo in waves over long distances. With my sight taken from me, I could almost convince myself we were back in the underground. Soft footsteps walked across stone somewhere ahead, and I realized my hearing seemed to be better when I did not have my eyes to complicate things.
Azazel stopped, and I loosened my grip on his belt. I didn't want to get in his way. I heard the slight grinding of an arrow being pulled from the quiver at his hip, and then he stood straighter and raised his bow.
Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. My heart happily filled in the silence with its beatings. Ahead, a pebble was kicked over the jagged stone floor, hopping closer as if eager to greet us.
Shik!
A low moan that was merely one step above an expelled last breath traveled over the stone ahead, and then the weight of a body fell. Azazel reached back behind him, taking my fingers from his belt. I waited silently, listening to the body being pulled out of the center walkway and to the side of a wall. The liquid release and dripping of blood followed as the arrow was retrieved from an eye. Then, Azazel's warm fingers took my hand, leading it helpfully back to his belt. When I had a grip of it, Azazel continued forward.
We traveled through a number of tunnels and connected rooms. No signs of life or mining were within a few hours of the exit. This route was so out of place it had been forgotten by anyone who wasn't using it illicitly.
I perked up when the first sounds of life began to roll over the tunnel walls. Pickaxes clinking off of stone seemed to come from under my feet, and the laughter of a few rowdy dwarves echoed toward us from so many directions I couldn't tell which one was correct. I finally opened my eyes. It was still dark, but not pitch black. The low glow of residual firelight appeared far ahead. In a shadow across the path was the form of a hanging chain. We'd finally reached the active tunnels.
Azazel slowed once we reached the chain, waiting to step over it until he'd scouted the tunnel ahead. Because we'd entered the mountain in the late afternoon, I figured it to be at least evening now, if not early night. The sound of dwarves working in unknown locations was prevalent, but it seemed the late shift was the least busy of all. The route we were exiting would drop us straight in the middle of a broader tunnel that held sconces along its gray walls. It was well-lit and without many shadows. To the left, the wide path led upward in a ramp. At its peak, I could see the twinkling of stars and the low glow of moonlight. To our right, the tunnel ramped downward into the depths of the mountain mines.
Azazel slowly turned around, and my fingers slipped from his belt. He reached out to my hands, taking one in each of his. He squeezed my left hand firmly, before waiting a moment and doing the same with my right.
Left or right? I read him well. I thought of the army waiting behind us. Many of the Alderi would be anxious to get started. The tunnel to our left led directly to the city, and it would be flooded with impatient assassins. With this in mind, I clenched my right hand over his left firmly, directing his attention to the depths. Azazel turned back around, waiting for me to grab his belt once more before moving over the chain.
We headed down the sloped tunnel while many of the assassins diverted and went left. I saw just the glimmer of light reflecting off of the edges of their magic before it was gone. If I hadn't known there were people there, it was possible I could have dismissed it as being a trick of the light or a blurring of my own eyes. That knowledge gave me some relief.
Azazel stayed in the center of the tunnel as often as he could, limiting the chances we had of the light of the sconces reflecting off our magic. Far ahead, I saw the rocky wall on either side of the path break into an intersection. I slowed behind Azazel as two dwarves sauntered into the area, inwardly hoping they would continue through to the other side.
When the two turned toward the upper path, Azazel moved slowly over to the side wall between two sconces and lowered to a squat. I waited beside him as the two dwarves neared us. To my right, I felt the exuding body heat of Nyx, though I couldn't see her. Nyx seemed to have an easier time keeping track of me in the firelight. She'd bumped into me quite a few times in the darker tunnels.