The Crystal Bard: A LitRPG Adventure (Kingmaker Saga Book 2)

by Thomas K. Carpenter

  "Yeah, what is the plan?" Chanterelle said, poking Terran in the ribs. "I hope we're meeting the rest there, because our last stealth mission together didn't go so well. I seem to remember you alerting the swampkin before all hell broke loose."

  "Hey, I'm much improved now." Terran held his hand to his heart and frowned. "I'm offended."

  "Don't be offended, be quieter," Luna chided.

  "Thanks to Lord Ostric," Terran said, tapping the signet ring on his finger, "I know the layout of the fortress. We're going to sneak in, sleep the Trio using hibernating shrooms, and bring them back to the glen as prisoners. An army without commanders is useless."

  "The three of us are going to try to sneak into a fortress guarded by Crag Trolls and who knows what else?" Chanterelle asked.

  "Four, sort of. Lord Ostric agreed to help. He can travel in the ring and be summoned away from the Mother Tree now," Terran explained.

  "Oh good. Three against an army sounded ridiculous, but four makes much more sense," Luna said with a snort. "Especially when the last member is a ghost."

  "How exactly are we going to get inside this fortress unseen?" Chanterelle asked.

  Terran stopped and drew the Mothrin wings with their harnesses out of his pack. "We're going to fly in at dark. They'll think we're just part of the army with these on."

  "I am not flying through the air wearing wings," Luna growled.

  "I assumed that already. That's why I only have two pairs. We may have to improvise getting you in, but since you're more industrious in the art of stealth and climbing, I figure that won't be much of a problem."

  "I'm sure you have a plan for getting back out once we've managed to gather the prisoners."

  The tips of Terran's ears reddened. "Yes. We're going to sleep the Trio, load them on Vievel's Hovering Disc, and take them out undercover."

  Both Luna and Chanterelle looked at him sideways. "This plan sounds better and better the more you explain it to us," the lynx growled.

  Terran, Chanterelle, and Luna traveled mostly in silence toward the fortress. Luna often scouted ahead, leaving the pair alone together. Terran wanted to ask Chanterelle about the Nightblade, but they were concerned about being caught, so they kept most of their communication to silent gestures. The tension between them seemed to increase the closer they got to the fortress.

  On the third day after leaving Karst Hollow, they climbed to the top of a mountain and saw the fortress below them just to the north. Even from afar the fortress looked commanding atop its mountain perch overlooking the small valley below. The impenetrable walls were formed from the black granite stone of the surrounding mountains, and the tower in the northwest corner stood sentinel high above the inner courtyard. The main entrance to the south was barred shut, and the inner courtyard was flanked by three large square buildings set into the face of the mountain on each of the other three sides. It was exactly as Terran had expected, given his discussions with Lord Ostric, but the place was a mess with wagons and crates scattered all over the courtyard.

  They watched in silence for several minutes, looking for a safe landing place and a pattern to the patrols pacing the outer walls.

  "I think we could land in that northeast corner behind all those crates," Terran whispered to the others. Although they were too far away to be heard, he was leery of drawing any attention since Luna still gave him trouble about announcing their presence on the last covert mission to free Lhoris and the others.

  Luna made a noise in her throat. "That works for you two, but how am I supposed to get inside? The gates are sealed shut and the cliffs are too sheer for me to climb even under normal circumstances, let alone trying to be unseen."

  Terran remained quiet for some time before he finally said, "You're right. I think you're going to have to fly in with us."

  "No way. Plus you said there are only two sets of wings," Luna argued.

  "I'll just hold you and we can fly in together."

  A low, menacing growl rumbled in Luna's chest while Chanterelle seemed content to remain silent. "Hold me," she said incredulously. "And I'm supposed to trust that you won't drop me?"

  "I would never drop you. If I could put you in my bag and fly you down, I'd do that, but we both know that would never work."

  Luna sat back on her haunches and bared her sharp teeth. "Fine, but I'm holding on with my teeth if I even sense your grip failing," she warned.

  They all waited in silence until dusk arrived. When the sun finally started descending behind the peaks to the west, Terran removed the luminescent sets of wings from his bag and showed Chanterelle how to put them on. As he leaned in to tighten the buckles on her harness he whispered in her ear, "Everything okay?"

  She gave a short, quick nod while reaching to tighten Terran's buckles. He swore she pulled a little tighter than was necessary, but he was grateful to have the harness secure. Luna was pacing back and forth as the pair readied the wings. Terran had never seen the lynx look so worried.

  "What do I need to do?" Luna asked.

  "I guess just be as still as you can so I can hold on to you."

  "What do you mean, you guess? You've used these before, right?"

  Terran shrugged. "There wasn't any time. Ara finished them right before we left. But don't worry, it's really simple. We just use our weight to turn and glide slowly down to our target. You can close your eyes if you're that worried."

  Luna growled something indecipherable, but stood next to Terran, waiting to be held. "Let's go now before I change my mind."

  Terran shot Chanterelle a look and then together they stepped to the edge of the cliff. Terran grabbed Luna around the middle and held on tight. "On the count of three we jump. One…two...three…"

  It took all the courage Terran could muster to make the leap off the cliff. Even knowing they could just respawn if something went wrong didn't alleviate the fear of throwing himself off the side of a mountain. His voice caught in his throat, and his stomach remained behind as they soared out over the edge, Terran's arms linked around Luna.

  The wind buffeted their faces and made it near impossible to hear as Terran looked around for Chanterelle. When he turned his head to locate her, the left wing dipped and they fell faster. He quickly adjusted, bringing the wings back to level. Terran could feel Luna's heart racing in her chest as she tried to keep her legs tucked in and her eyes squeezed shut.

  The half-moon poked out from behind the clouds, giving light to the ground below as Terran easily learned how to steer the wings using small adjustments to his shoulders. Even Luna became a little less stiff as they soared through the air like a bird. He had to remind himself they were on a stealth mission, otherwise he would have squealed with delight at the feeling of freedom.

  Terran felt warm air on his cheeks before he realized what was happening. No longer dropping toward the ground, they were being carried off target by an updraft that had caught their wings. The wind had grabbed ahold of them, pushing them high and to the east. Terran felt dizzy with adrenaline as he tried to adjust their flight path back towards the fortress, which was getting further away every moment. The column of hot air sent them soaring ever higher, pushing them up toward the moon before the air finally cooled enough for Terran to regain control.

  Luna shifted her weight, and Terran almost lost his grip on the lynx as they both panicked. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his racing heart as they leveled out. The landing target was far below them to the southwest. He could see Chanterelle circling in order to slow her descent as much as possible. Terran pushed his chest toward the earth and they shot down like an eagle who spied a fish in the bay. A fierce wind made Terran squint, and the strap on the harness shook as they dropped.

  Suddenly the strap on Terran's right shoulder snapped away from the wing and he lost all control. He and Luna went tumbling through the air, flipping over and over again, tucked like a ball falling to the ground. Panic and bile rose in Terran's throat as his mind raced through any options available. He co
uldn't let go of Luna to grab the broken strap that floated above them, but he could unfurl his legs and try to stabilize their fall.

  He used all of his strength to fight the air resistance and stiffen his body. They came out of the tumble with the wings below them, falling faceup staring at the moon as they plummeted toward the ground. Luna bit at the loose strap that flapped near her face. After several attempts she managed to grab the leather strap with her teeth. With her lying on top of Terran, he quickly let go with one hand and helped pull the strap tighter into her mouth. He relaced his fingers and held on tight, which stiffened the wings and straightened them out, slowing their rapid descent.

  With his stomach no longer in his throat, Terran got his head around to see the ground approaching at great speed. They were headed into a dark hollow in the mountains behind the fortress. There was little room to land, but he maneuvered towards a patch of angled stone near a spring.

  Right before they hit, Luna squirmed out of his grip, using her cat-like reflexes to land comfortably on the stone, while the sudden loss of weight sent him careening towards a lone tree with no leaves. He managed to tuck his shoulder to avoid hitting it head-on, but the dead branches caught his wings, sending him tumbling towards a sheer wall. Right before he hit he managed to get the wings flat to the air, slowing him enough to get his feet down and stop.

  Bent over, and with his blood rushing through his ears, he checked behind him to find both Luna and Chanterelle staring at him.

  "What?"

  "That almost looked graceful," said Luna. "Almost."

  "Thanks," he said. "But now we have to figure out where we are and how to get back to the fortress."

  Chanterelle craned her head back. "I don't think that's happening anytime soon."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The bleak rock wall shot straight up, forming a sheer cliff. A sliver of moonlight briefly illuminated it before disappearing behind a sheet of gray clouds, returning them to a gloomy darkness. A small spring trickled water into a rocky catchment, echoing through the hollow.

  Terran adjusted his gear, loosened by the impact, while Chanterelle scouted the dark. At his feet, the Mothrin wing harness looked like a crumpled piece of glittery tissue paper.

  "We're not getting out of here on those things," said Luna, who stared at the wall from her haunches.

  "Is that climbable?" asked Terran.

  "Not even if I were alone," said Luna. "I need places to dig my claws in, but that wall has no crevices or cracks. It's like it was cut with a sword."

  "Great," said Terran, shaking his head. "I'd say that at least we survived the impact, but if we'd died, we'd be back in the glen. I wonder if we can even find our way back from here."

  He caught movement on the rocky ledge behind their position and tried to make out what he was looking at. Even with the Theris Stone, which gave him darkvision, the shadows swirled, making it difficult to pick out the details until Chanterelle stepped forward, rendering herself visible.

  "There's a narrow passage back this way, going into the mountain," said Chanterelle grimly.

  There was something different about her that brought prickles against the back of his neck. He worried that the Nightblade was changing her.

  "Where does it go?" he asked.

  With her hands resting on her hilts, she replied, "No idea. But there's no other way out of this little hollow." She paused. "Be warned. There are tracks leading in and out of the passage. They probably come here for the spring, whoever or whatever they are."

  Touching the signet ring, Terran summoned Lord Ostric's ghost forth. The mustached centaur appeared on the rocky ledge next to the spring.

  "Have you destroyed our enemies? Am I here for the victory party? Why is it so dark? A surprise? I hate surprises," said the incorporeal centaur, crossing his arms like a petulant child.

  "No. No victory, or party. We overflew our target, ended up north and east of the fortress in the mountains. I was hoping you'd know where we are, or how to get out. There's a passage going into the mountains, and it appears inhabited, but we're not sure by what," said Terran.

  Chanterelle tilted her head at Terran. "You talking to your ghost friend?" He nodded. "I feel like I can almost see his outline."

  "Me too," said Luna, squinting.

  Lord Ostric's ghost wandered around the hollow, frowning. "I know nothing of this place. This is the price you pay for not kicking down the front door and slaying your enemies in honorable battle."

  "Right," said Terran. "No idea of what could be in the mountains?"

  The enormous centaur faced Terran and crossed his arms. "These foul lands are filled with krakens, goblins, and other treacherous beasties, but they all look the same under my hooves."

  "Bloody, I'm sure," said Terran with a sigh as he let the ghost return to the ring. "If everyone's rested, let's head into the mountain."

  Chanterelle took the lead with her blades in her fists. At times, when Terran turned his head, it was as if she faded to shadow. Luna took the rear of the party, claiming that she could ensure they wouldn't get ambushed from behind.

  They didn't have to go far until they saw signs of other inhabitants of the tunnels. At a crossway, Terran caught sight of glowing eyes. He'd barely opened his mouth when Chanterelle shot down the path after it, heedless of danger. She reached the end of the path, looked both ways, then turned back.

  "It disappeared," she said.

  "Great, now they know we're here," said Terran.

  Other paths presented them with choices, and after he gave Chanterelle a shrug, she took the direction that he hoped would lead them back to the fortress, or at least to a location out of the mountains.

  The passages had clear signs of activity with marks gouged into the stone and small cracked bones in cubbies. Terran imagined that life in these places would be one of eternal watchfulness and fear, as likely everything would want to kill you.

  When they came into a wide chamber, Terran felt exposed. He searched the darkness for foes, but there was only endless stone.

  "I feel like we're being watched," he whispered.

  "I know we're being watched," said Chanterelle, craning her neck in all directions as her lips were squeezed to a grim line. "But I can't see them."

  "I smell them," said Luna with her hackles raised. "They stink like old feet."

  "Goblins?" he asked.

  "Doubtful," said Luna. "They're the definition of cowardice. No, whatever is in here is more cunning."

  "Agreed," said Chanterelle.

  "Keep going or head back to a different passage?" asked Terran.

  Chanterelle gestured forward. "I can feel cooler air that way. Either it's taking us back to where we started, or there's another way out."

  "Fair enough," he said. "Forward it is, then."

  He didn't bother telling them to be careful since they looked ready to stab or bite the first thing that came out of the darkness. The path led them from the ledge onto the domed floor of the cavern, which was covered in small gravel.

  The ground felt uneven to Terran, who remarked to his friends. "I haven't seen any bones or gouges in the wall in a while as if the smaller creatures don't come here. I wonder what lives in here that keeps them away?"

  The comment brought his companions to a halt. Their caution was followed by a rumbling beneath their feet, which rocked them momentarily. Terran looked beneath his boots as the ground surged upward, taking him with it.

  Chanterelle shot him a glance of wide-eyed alarm as the creature they were standing on shifted its weight. They leapt to the real floor of the cavern as an enormous Cave Devourer rose to its feet. It looked like a small mountain of rock with tentacles reaching every direction. It was an elite level 17 creature. Before Terran could leap away, a rocky appendage wrapped around his midsection and lifted him towards its enormous toothy maw.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The rocky tentacle squeezed his guts until he couldn't breathe as the Cave Devourer dangled him
over its cavernous mouth, which stunk of old cabbage. It shoved him past its teeth, but Terran managed to catch a bit of air, and sang out a Sonic Disruption, right into the soft pink flesh inside the creature's mouth.

  The Cave Devourer flung him away to impact into the slope, injuring his ribs and knocking him dizzy. As he struggled to his feet, he felt lucky that he hadn't been impaled on the rocky protrusions next to him, but he had no time to contemplate further, as the creature realized his mistake and sent its tentacle after him.

  As he dove under its grasp, he heard Luna whimper as the Cave Devourer had cornered her with three of its limbs, snapping at her like mouthless snake heads. He ran over the uneven ground, wondering where Chanterelle was in the fight. A rocky appendage came at his head, but he blasted it away with Sonic Disruption, sending up a plume of stone chips and dust. A tentacle managed to grab Luna before she could sprint away, but Terran reached her, holding his staff up before exhaling a blast, which forced the creature to release her.

  The appendage writhed away with a ring of unprotected flesh around its length, while four more tentacles came undulating at them. Terran and Luna backed against a wall. While avoiding the creature's strikes, he examined the room for signs of Chanterelle. Had she already been devoured? Or had she left them when she thought the battle was lost?

  Luna's teeth and his disrupting screams kept the Cave Devourer at bay, but they couldn't keep up their defense forever. The enormous rocky creature sat like a mountain at the center of the room with its limbs providing the reach necessary to capture its prey. Terran understood why there were no bones or other markings near this cave. If something wandered into it, they ended up in the Cave Devourer's belly.

  When the limb that he'd disrupted went swinging by his head, revealing again the band of gray flesh beneath the rocky exterior, Terran realized the creature was not made of rock, but had somehow adhered it to its body to create formidable armor.