by Lana Axe
Lifting her head, Kaiya’s throat tightened. Could Galen be among the dead? He had made it through the earlier avalanche, but what might have befallen him after she activated the third rune? The Gawr knew her power, and it could see her mind. Those she loved would not remain safe, if indeed they truly were.
Clenching her teeth, she made up her mind. There was no time to search for Galen. She would have to trust in the wind. Her eyes searched the vicinity for a way to the mine, anything capable of bearing her faster than her own legs. There, munching grass as if the world’s evil had no effect on him, stood a bighorn.
Running toward the creature, she jumped onto its back and dug her heels into its flank. The bighorn obeyed, spitting out a mouthful of greens and bleating. Nimbly it climbed over the rubble, its powerful legs unhindered by the mountainside. Higher it went, never slowing, bearing the sorceress to her destination. It stopped outside the mine’s entrance and stamped the ground with a forefoot.
Patting its neck, Kaiya thanked the creature for its assistance. Though she did not look behind her, she could feel Tashi’s desire to join her. The priestess was coming, though she could not run as fast as the bighorn. With her mind, she reached out to her companion. Don’t follow, she instructed her. Remain outside the mine, no matter what you hear. If I don’t survive, find Galen and get help from the elves.
Not waiting for a reply, Kaiya took a deep breath and stepped inside the mine. A sense of dread slammed into her chest. The Gawr’s power had grown. Darkness enveloped the sorceress, the only sound the hammering of her heart. One glance at the entryway mirror revealed its destruction. She would have to find her way in the absence of all light.
Her fingers shook, her feet lead weights. You will get only one chance, she reminded herself. The absolute stillness of the mine would not allow her magic stores to replenish. She would have to be quick and efficient.
Through great effort, she steadied her breathing, but each breath was too hot and her throat was too dry. You can do this, she tried to convince herself as she clenched and relaxed her hands. At the first platform she fidgeted with the rope, tangling it. With shaking fingers, she managed to work it out and descended deeper into the mine. A rumbling echoed through the expansive cavern, reminding her that her enemy was not yet asleep.
Chunks of rock worked their way loose from the ceiling, crashing to the bottom of the mine. One struck the platform, sending it careening toward the next level. Kaiya landed hard, the wind forced from her lungs. As she attempted to pull herself up, she could not. Her leg was pinned beneath the fallen rubble, and she lacked the physical strength to lift it. Trapped in the darkness, she considered her options. Was this worth the magic she would have to spend to free herself? Would she then have enough to face the Gawr? Groaning in frustration, she lay back in the darkness.
* * * * *
“Was that Kaiya?” Daro asked, jogging toward the mine’s entrance.
“It was,” Tashi replied. Though she had arrived too late to see Kaiya enter, she had no doubt the sorceress had made it to her destination.
“What’s she doing? Did you find all those rune stones?”
“We did,” the priestess replied. “She has to go deep to seal the magic.”
As she finished speaking, the ground shook, sending both of them to their hands and knees. A cry of alarm echoed from inside the mine. Splintering wood announced the destruction of the elevator platform.
“She’s in trouble,” Daro said. He took a step toward the entrance, but Tashi grabbed his arm.
“She warned me not to follow,” the priestess said. “It is too dangerous.”
The echo of falling rock, and the groan of an obviously injured woman sounded from the mine, stabbing Tashi through the heart. “She’s hurt,” she said. “I’ll go after her.”
“That platform’s gone,” Daro said. “Let me climb down.” The Ulihi woman was slight of build, and the foreman believed himself far sturdier. Her thin arms would never see her safely to the bottom.
“No,” Tashi said. “I’m lighter. You can lower me with a rope.”
Daro agreed, fetching a length of rope from a nearby crate. Fashioning a makeshift harness, he stepped inside the mine.
Affixing the harness around herself, Tashi tugged at the rope. It felt sturdy. “Fetch your men and wait at the top for us,” she told him. “We might need your help, so keep your ears open.”
The foreman nodded and lowered the priestess over the ledge. Ignoring the discomfort of the rope, Tashi descended into the vast emptiness. When her feet struck the bottom, she did not hesitate. Freeing herself from the rope, she stumbled into the darkness, her eyes slowly adjusting to the gloom.
Hearing footsteps, Kaiya propped herself up on her elbow. “Who’s there?” she called.
“Tashi,” the priestess replied, moving toward the voice. Dropping to her knees, she reached for her companion.
“My leg is pinned,” Kaiya said, a note of shame in her voice. Her magic could have blasted her free, but she hesitated to use it.
Using her staff as a lever against the rubble, Tashi gave her friend the room she needed to wiggle free.
“Thanks,” Kaiya said. With a sigh of relief, she admitted, “I’m glad you came.” Here in the dreary underworld, it was comforting to see a familiar face. She had dismissed Tashi too quickly, and she regretted it. The priestess had proved herself invaluable, and her presence might mean the difference between success and failure since it allowed Kaiya to preserve her magic.
A sharp pain shot through Kaiya’s leg when she tried to stand. “Ah!” she cried as she nearly fell. Luckily, Tashi was there to catch her. Leaning some of her weight against Tashi, Kaiya attempted to walk through the pain.
The movement did Kaiya some good, and by the time they reached the second platform, she was able to walk on her own. Down they went, Tashi working the ropes to lower themselves with ease. Only the creaking of the platform could be heard, the light fading into complete darkness.
Blindly they moved on, trusting their feet to follow the path. Disorientation swept over them, but they reached for each other in the dark, steadying themselves whenever needed. The third platform awaited, a gentle rolling thunder sounding beneath it.
“Are you sure you don’t want to turn back?” Kaiya asked. Tashi had no magic to protect herself, and Kaiya would not be able to spare any to shield her. The priestess had already done enough. Without her, Kaiya wouldn’t have made it this far without using magic.
“I am with you until the end,” Tashi declared. Grasping the ropes, she lowered the platform, her eyes fixated on the glowing green dots of light. Such beautiful creatures hidden from the world, she thought. “Do those creatures use magic?” she asked.
The true source of their light was unknown to her, but Kaiya sensed no magic in the glowworms. Though she couldn’t see her friend’s face, she could sense the wonder in her voice. Rather than dash her spirits, she replied, “I don’t know, but if they have magic, let’s hope they use it to aid us.”
“I think they already have,” the priestess replied. The mere presence of such beauty reassured her that evil could not taint every inch of the world. Even here, where the dead god’s wrath was strongest, it could not thwart the magic of these tiny beings.
Setting foot on the lowest level, both women could feel the presence of evil. A faint red glow appeared in the distance, near the end of the mine where Kaiya had stood before. Unable to spend magic on light, the sorceress did her best to guide her companion from memory. The earth groaned its dissatisfaction as they reached the mine’s end.
Flattening herself on the cold floor, Kaiya’s eyes burned with silver magic. Spreading her hands flat on the stone, she focused her mind to the spell that would seal the Gawr to its prison. Tashi recoiled at the sight of the magic burning at her feet, the sudden illumination painful to her eyes.
As the magic spread, the ground rumbled. Steady at first, it crescendoed to a deafening roar, forcing the priestess t
o cover her ears. The vibrations resonated throughout her body, her teeth chattering and head throbbing. Concerned that the sorceress would be forced to abandon the spell, she kneeled at her side, but Kaiya showed no sign that she was affected. Her years of practice with meditation made her focus difficult to break, despite the Gawr’s efforts.
Silver light stretched along the cavern floor, extending itself into the walls. Tiny deposits of painite glowed red in response. Tashi saw them as bleeding hearts, the lifeblood of her people and the dwarves. Lives would be saved, or all would end here. Though she had no magic, she projected a powerful message to the dead god. Sleep, evil, and leave the world in peace.
Her mind in close proximity to the Gawr, Kaiya could feel its power. It was far stronger than before, its will to destroy greater than ever. With all its being, it fought her, attempting to break through her spell. The ground shook, knocking loose chunks of rock and opening fissures in the floor. Still the sorceress held fast. If she lost her concentration, she wouldn’t have the power to start over. With no wind available to her, the air could not be replenished, nor could her magical stores. This had to work.
With an earsplitting crash, three fractures appeared in the walls nearest the sorceress. Though dizzy from the constant rumbling, Tashi steeled her courage. Through the openings emerged three stone beasts, each stumbling on four legs. Despite their clumsy movements, they closed in on Kaiya, who refused to drop her spell to deal with them. All she needed was a few more minutes.
Tashi would give them to her. Reaching for an abandoned mining pick, she gripped it tightly in her hands. Swinging with all her might, she attacked the nearest stone beast, sending rocks flying. Spurred on by her success, she hacked away, focusing on its legs to render it immobile. Without pause, she moved on, swinging her pick at the second beast. Forcing it away from Kaiya, she hacked at its feet, which were little more than a jumbled pile of rock. You should have built a better monster, she wanted to say to the Gawr.
The floor quaked, shaking the entire cavern violently. Midswing, Tashi had no time to steady herself. Her awkward position left her top-heavy, and she plummeted to the ground, striking her hip and shouting out in pain. Seeing an opportunity to rid itself of a threat, the third stone beast closed in on her.
Thanks to the light of Kaiya’s magic, Tashi saw her attacker drawing near. It kicked out with a massive leg, but she rolled to her left, avoiding the blow. Still on the ground, she found her way to a seated position before striking again. The pick swiped the beast’s foot from beneath it, sending it staggering backward. Not wasting a moment, she found her feet and lunged at the beast, bringing the pick down on top of its head. It shrunk back, giving her the opportunity she needed. Putting all her energy into one swing, she smashed through one leg and then the other three. It fell, wriggling on its torso, no longer a threat.
Still lying on the floor, Kaiya’s brow glistened with sweat. Her muscles ached, an explosion of pain in her head threatening to break what focus she had left. It was all too much, and the fear of failure worked its way into her mind.
The Gawr’s power was beginning to fade, she could feel it in her bones. But her own magic was dwindling, and she would soon be forced into submission. Both she and the Gawr had much to lose, and neither would give up willingly.
In one last effort, she drew on the small amount of air that remained in the cavern. The room glowed brighter as the breath escaped the sorceress’s lungs, the pressure in her chest excruciating. The Gawr responded with an earsplitting cry, the cavern walls crumbling and collapsing, the ceiling raining down.
Dizzy from the lack of air and overexertion, Tashi felt herself fading. The room spun before her eyes, the quaking ground only adding to her disorientation. Blackness crept around the edges of her vision. The last sight she saw was a stone beast limping its way toward her. Crumpling to the ground, she saw no more.
Falling stones pelted Kaiya as she desperately fought to stay conscious. As the darkness crept over her, she knew she had failed. She could not hold the spell any longer. The Dwarf’s Heart trapped within the mine’s walls glowed brighter, filling her final vision with images of red, the blood of those she could not save.
A searing heat scorched her skin through the pocket of her tunic, a new source of magic announcing itself. Galen’s rune! Kaiya remembered, her hand desperately reaching for the source of power. It glimmered in the silver light, a red flame on its surface. Pulling its energy through herself, she revitalized her magical stores and commanded the rune to obey.
A blast of wind swept through the cavern, reviving the fallen priestess and shattering the rock beasts as they attempted to flee. Momentarily refreshed, Kaiya marveled at the elf’s power. He’s not much of a sorcerer, but he’s a damn fine rune carver, she mused. Refocusing her energy, she renewed the spell that would seal her enemy to its fate.
A growl of displeasure sounded from the Gawr, the image of a gigantic hand lashing out playing over in Kaiya’s mind. With a burst of anger, the beast called down its final attack, rocking the mine at its foundation.
Groggy and unsteady on her feet, Tashi watched as the sorceress completed her spell. The entire cavern shook in defiance, a tremendous growl reverberating throughout. In a flash of silver light, Tashi felt the mine’s floor collapse, sending them plummeting deeper into the earth.
A pile of stones collapsed on Tashi, crushing the small bones of one foot. One struck her directly in the chest, sending an explosion of pain into her throat. Scraped and battered, she was forced to crawl, making every effort to reach the sorceress who had landed face down on the rocks.
Kaiya’s head struck the rocks beneath her, knocking her unconscious. The silver light faded, her sealing spell broken. Clutched in her hand, the rune stone faded out, its fire completely spent.
Chapter 20
Stumbling in the darkness, Tashi did her best to find Kaiya among the rubble. All was silent, the cries of distress from beneath dissipating as the ancient monster was forced back to its slumber. The dead god had returned to its rightful place. Her soul was now wiped clean, thanks to Kaiya. Grateful to her friend, the priestess was determined to get to her.
Only the tiny lights put off by the glowworms allowed Tashi to locate her companion. The sorceress did not move, but she still drew breath. Mustering her strength, the priestess pulled her companion along the rubble, hoping to find a way back up. Her every breath labored, the process proved almost too much. Her own body was badly injured, a hot, wet pain in her lungs. The exertion forced her to cough, leaving the taste of blood heavy in her mouth.
The pair had fallen into a deep chasm, nearly a hundred feet lower than the mine’s lowest platform. Tashi limped backward, dragging her friend along the uneven floor, hoping for a miracle. When she crashed into an unseen wall and stumbled backward, she realized she had found one.
Dots of green light illuminated the wall, allowing her to make out what she had found. Stretching out her arms, she examined the area behind her. The debris had collapsed in a funnel shape, creating a makeshift staircase of jumbled rock. The journey up would be awkward, but it was a way out.
Struggling under the sorceress’s weight, Tashi forced herself to pull harder. More coughing followed by more blood, the pain in her chest growing more intense. It spread through her body, each breath becoming more difficult. Ignoring the pain, she climbed higher, still dragging Kaiya along with her. Desperately hoping her companion would wake, she wondered how much longer she could continue to pull her. It was more than her injured body could handle.
One final obstacle lay ahead as she neared the mine’s platform. A gap of four feet, taller than the priestess, remained for her to climb. Lifting Kaiya to such height would be impossible. She could not lift the sorceress over her head.
Leaving Kaiya on the upper step, Tashi descended and began piling smaller rocks to craft a makeshift ramp. The work was difficult, made more so by her inability to take a full breath. Panting heavily and aching with fatigue, she
finished her task and dragged the sorceress upward. Rolling her limp body onto the platform, Tashi reached for the ropes and began to pull. The platform did not move. Her arms lacked the strength to lift both women to the next level.
Removing herself from the platform, Tashi tried again. With only Kaiya to lift, the platform began to move, though slowly. Her eyes glistened as she strained to see her companion rising toward freedom. When Kaiya had safely reached the second plateau, Tashi tied off the rope and lay back, blood pouring from her mouth. Each cough forced more air from her lungs, the blood replacing it in a steady flow.
A light appeared before Tashi’s eyes, a torch moving toward her from the darkness. Her mouth dropped open as she realized who had come. Annin stood before her, her eyes gleaming in the darkness.
“Sister,” Tashi whispered, reaching out her hands.
Annin took her sister’s hands in her own.
“I thought you would hate me,” Tashi whispered.
“Never,” Annin replied.
Tashi breathed a sigh of relief.
“Come with me,” Annin said. “Together we shall be at peace in the world to come.”
“But your daughter,” Tashi protested. Someone had to protect the girl and train her to fulfill her destiny.
“We will watch over her together,” Annin said. Looking upward, she added, “The life you have saved will protect her as well. And she will train her in the use of magic.”
Her heart swelling with pride, Tashi smiled. All she could have hoped for would come to pass. Evil had been banished, and her niece would grow to be the protector of the Ulihi. Silently she closed her eyes and slept.
* * * * *
“I’m going down there,” Raad said. His first attempt had been hindered by Daro, who feared a massive cave-in would trap any miner who went down. Raad no longer cared. He couldn’t stand by while lives were lost.