by Tom Rogal
Dyenarus asked, “How could the Ettui take out twelve of these things? We have more power than they do and we couldn’t even take one out yet.”
Neeza stepped forward, “Vindar and I alone had witnessed the Garchai take out at least three hundred Ettui with only minor wounds to show for it. Yet, this Ettui leader of theirs is very well versed in this place and its residents. Perhaps they knew they would come this way eventually and set these wires to snap.”
Haldirin finished his thought, “Because a broken metal wire if strung tight enough could rip through any known metal known to man. It would have cut through the Garchai like hot butter.”
They all looked toward the beheaded Garchai at the large puddle of green blood near both his head and the rest of the body. As they moved deeper into the room, they saw more dismembered Garchai and their bodies. The smell was starting to take form as they neared the end of the room. Haldirin looked up to see many places on top that seem to be platforms of some kind. That must have been where they had it set up the wires.
The room looked very incomplete as well, like they were in the middle of molding it when something happened. Gerran overcautiously took them through the remainder of it until they reached the hall. He didn’t want to happen to them what happened to the Garchai. In the hall, they began to hear sounds faintly coming from the other side. When they found the end, they entered a large and cavernous room. It was pitch black where they were, but they could see the torchlight ahead illuminating the entire area. The mages carefully advanced until they came to a set of stones that overlooked the area.
It was huge! The ceiling was at least eight hundred feet high and a large double door could be seen to the left. A large camp had been set up by the nearly seven hundred Ettui that cluttered the area. The most curious ones were holding a bluish veil across the great set of doors, which were being pounded on the other end. They were pretty sure they knew who was on the other side. Whatever that veil was must have been strengthening it. Beyond the area was dark on the other side, but every once and a while a torch could be seen going or coming back.
Vindar exclaimed, “Wow! This place is amazing!”
Condarin commented, “That it is, but I’m more concerned about how we are going to get past the rest of these Ettui.”
For once the woman said something that would actually make them think instead of sugar-coating the problem, Dyenarus almost said aloud. This group of Ettui seemed different than the others. Their armor looked stronger and they seemed more disciplined.
Neeza said, “We know we are going in the right direction because I think this is an elite squad. The ones thrown at Zondiir was a ruse; something to keep the masses busy while these made their way to the Relic. Smart . . . too smart for my liking.”
Gerran asked, “How are we going to get past them? The walls are too smooth for us to climb.”
Neeza began to look around the area as he said, “The good thing about this place is that there always seems to be another way to get to where you are going. The problem lies in trying to find out where they are going. If they know so much about this place and how to dispatch the Garchai quickly, then they certainly know exactly where it is.”
“And judging by the strength of it, we are getting very, very close to it,” added Gerran.
Haldirin asked, “How are we going to find out? None of us can understand elvish to even try to listen in on their conversations.”
There was a way, however it was going to be dangerous and unfortunately, he would need someone else to do it. He wasn’t going to be sneaking in on anyone soon with his ankle hurting like it did. Healing spells could only do so much sometimes. He had his preference of course, but that would be only be if she was willing.
Neeza explained his plan, “We might not be able to understand what they say, but I’m quite certain they have a map. Maps, like music, are pretty standard. As it so happens, we have a mapping expert. I believe it would be in the command hut, in the far distance over there.”
They all looked in that direction. It was only about two hundred feet away, but with the Ettui soldiers everywhere, it might as well been two thousand feet.
Haldirin commented, “Well, unless someone learns how to make an area effect sleep spell, that isn’t happening. We’d be seen the moment we hit the torchlight.”
Neeza smiled as Haldirin used the key word he was looking for, “The key is to make ourselves unseen.”
At this point, everyone looked in Dyenarus’ direction. Other than Neeza, she was the only one who knew how to make him or herself invisible. It sure sounded to her that he was suggesting that they use group invisibility to get them there.
“No, I won’t use group invisibility on us!”
Even Haldirin showed a concern look on his face, “I have to agree with Dyenarus. It’s too risky, for us and for her.”
Neeza clarified, “That is why I am asking only her to go. She will sneak into the camp under the cloak of invisibility, steal the maps, and return here so we can figure out where we can get ahead of them. Believe me; I would do it if not for my ankle. I believe in you.”
Dyenarus looked around at everyone’s faces, but stopped mainly on Haldirin’s. His face said it all. She was the only other one who could do it. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was scared. Staying invisible, like any spell that wasn’t instant like a fireball, would be physically draining on her. If she stayed invisible too long on the trip there, she might not have the strength to make the trip back. But if it was the only way they were going to get out of here, what choice did she have?
Dyenarus finally said, “Okay. I’ll do it.”
“How is she doing?”
“She’s about halfway there.”
“Where?”
“By that crate. Can’t you see . . . just believe me.”
“Would all of you please be quiet? It’s hard concentrating on staying invisible. Having all of you chatter in my mind isn’t helping!” telekinetically scolded Dyenarus.
She hated to use her Telekinetic Speak while she was invisible because that was more physically draining on her, but she had to keep them quiet. She allowed the other mages access to her mind so they could let her know if any of the Ettui discovered her fast. Invisibility was nice, but on surfaces like this, she still made easily traceable footprints. She also had to be cautious not to knock anything down as that would give her position away.
She could see the command hut about fifty feet away, but there seemed to be a constant stream of Ettui soldiers coming from that direction. Their leader must have been in there. That was going to make things tough, if he was. One thing she knew was that she was going to have to take a different route. There were too many chances that she could walk into one of these soldiers. She turned right, between a couple of huts.
“Careful, Dyenarus. We are losing a visual of you and the quarters seem tight.”
Thanks for the concern Haldirin, she wanted to say, but kept silent. She knew this was risky as well. Not many Ettui seemed to come from this direction, but if one did, there was not much room to avoid a collision. She looked back. She could see her footprint trail as plain as day. She hated this sandy material. This room must have been quarried to the point that the stones were grinded so fine they became a nice granule.
She moved slowly, hoping to minimize the risk of someone hearing her. She tried her best to control her breathing because that could be seen as well. She didn’t realize how cold it had gotten the further down they got. The Ettui didn’t need to worry much about temperature. Unless it was below zero, their tough skin made them adaptable to the environment. The huts were quickly made out of animal leathers and pre-made sticks. As these materials were easy to come by, they could set this up and leave it without regret of leaving anything valuable behind in terms of housing material.
She froze when she heard movement from inside the huts next to her. That was the other factor that made this route more difficult. There could be a number of Ettui sold
iers in the tents that could pop out at any time. She finally began moving again around the nearest hut.
Suddenly three Ettui raced past her. She had to make evasive maneuvers to get out of the way without landing on the hut. Sand kicked up as she did. The first two continued on their way. The last one, however, stopped and turned around. No, no, no, no, no, please turn around! She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The Ettui moved to her direction, stopping about three feet in front of her. She remained silent, but it was difficult. It looked around the area. All he had to do was reach his arm out and his hand would have hit her. Luckily, it must have assumed they had done the strange sand kick as they raced by. He finally moved forward. Dyenarus breathed a heavy sigh of relief as she tried to catch her breath.
As she turned the corner, the command hut was only forty feet away, and with very little traffic going that way. She began to quicken her pace as she wanted to get it over with. About halfway, one soldier stepped out of its tent, not more than two feet in front of her. If it turned right, it would have walked right into her. By the good grace of the gods, it turned left toward the hut.
She decided to follow right behind it. When she was within five feet from the side of the command hut, she sprinted to her left. The Ettui she trailed looked back, but seeing nothing, it continued on its course. Dyenarus found a window and a group of crates that provided great cover. As she stepped behind the crates, she cancelled out her invisibility spell.
“Okay, I’m near a window. Going to look in and see what it’s like inside.”
Partly on the side of caution, and partly the need for a rest from the spell, she decided it best she scouted the room before entering it. She didn’t want to walk in and discover more Ettui than she’d be able to handle. As it turned out, there were only four inside, one of whom was the one she had trailed behind. They were speaking in their language, so she couldn’t understand a word they were saying.
She did recognize one of them. The leader, who she noticed back in the bridge room, was dictating to his lesser officers most likely. He had a commanding voice for an Ettui. Four was not many, but it was probably wise that she didn’t jump in as the leader would probably be more than she could handle. She began to describe the scene to the mages telepathically.
“Okay, the leader is here. He’s having a small meeting. There are various papers and scrolls, but I can’t see what they are from here. There is a table that has a map of some kind, so I will check that out as soon as I can.”
Orznaii began to gesture with his hand toward the door. The other Ettui in the room began to leave. Wow, was she fortunate. Now all she had to worry about was the leader and if push came to shove, she should be able to get out.
“The leader just sent everyone out. Getting ready to make a move.”
She readied her invisibility spell as soon as the last Ettui exited the hut. It was going to take some skill, but she was confident in her abilities to do it.
She stopped herself as her vision zoned in on Orznaii. He reached into his armor and pulled out a pouch as he walked toward a weak flame in the center. She couldn’t tell what was in it, but it was some kind of powder.
“Dyenarus, you have an update?”
“Shhh! Something is about to happen.”
He threw it on the flame, causing it to grow nearly to the top. She was afraid the hut would catch fire. The flame soon turned to a dull blue, but that wasn’t what shocked her. It looked as if there was a man in the fire!
“What have you to report, General Orznaii?” asked the man.
Orznaii spoke in the common tongue, “We advance on Valendraii’s Relic. It is just down the tunnels past here. One way in, so we will not be disturbed.”
As surprised as she was that they were actually talking in the common language, she was more relieved than anything. That meant that she didn’t have to sneak in. All she had to do was listen.
The man said, “Good. Have you met any opposition while in the Mount?”
Orznaii replied, “The Valendritaii guarding went down easy. Thank Lord Ulcinar for that recommendation. They fell right into the trap like he foresaw they would. However, we also ran into a group of mages.”
The man in the flame went silent. This news was obviously very concerning. She tried to memorize every feature of the man that she could. She didn’t know his name, but he did have long white hair, and seemed to wear all black. He was actually quite handsome from what she could see. She did have one name, though. Lord Ulcinar.
The man said, “Dispose of them if you see them, but I am quite certain the Valendritaii will save you the trouble. Their leader is the most important mage. I doubt that he would be there. His name is Neeza.”
Orznaii said, “I don’t know what Neeza looks like or if he’s here, but if he is, he would be in charge of the group. I will kill him for certain.”
That wasn’t good. What was so important about Neeza that they knew him by name? How was he considered the most important mage? This situation was starting to become much grander than she could have imagined.
The man continued, “That would be most pleasing. When you do, bring his head to me when you drop the Relic off and we will see. Fortune would smile upon us if he’s there because it would save us much trouble. The shield my master gave you is working as well?”
“Yes, my four strongest Ettui are holding it up. The Valendritaii won’t be getting in with that up.” answered Orznaii.
Dyenarus telepathically spoke, “Good news, the leader . . . sounds like his name is Orznaii, is speaking with a man through a flame. Spilling out everything!”
“What do you mean, talking through a flame?” asked Neeza.
She continued, “That’s not important. That bluish light in front of the door is a shield. It is keeping the Garchai out of this room. That’s the rhythmic pounding you hear on the other side. And the Relic is just ahead, but there is no other known way to get there. We are running out of time.”
Haldirin said, “Come back, Dyenarus. We’ll discuss how to get there even if we have to fight our way through.”
“Hold on. They are speaking about other things. I want to hear them out.”
She could hear their displeasure, urging her to go back, but she zoned them out. She felt it was important to learn more about this man if she could. He was the driving force behind why the Ettui were there in the first place. All she had was one name.
The man said, “Once you have recovered it, take it to the eastern coast of Dyyros. Either myself or General Alcatar will recover it from you.”
As the man shifted, she could see what looked to be a long, black blade sheathed at his side. Even though he looked handsome, he was probably very dangerous. Come on! Say your name!
Orznaii said, “It shall be done. When does the main operation happen?”
“Soon enough. The Ettui are ready on the northern front, I assume?”
“They are, master swordsman. They are just awaiting orders from Lord Ulcinar to proceed. They shall have no problems. The alliances for the enemy are fragile and will fall quickly.”
The swordsman in the fire could hear it in the tone of his voice, “I know your thirst for revenge against the elves is strong, but Lord Ulcinar needs you to curb your thirst until he has completed his objectives,” answered the man.
Orznaii seemed upset, but also willing to do what he had been told. Okay, so this guy is actually working for someone else, someone powerful who lives on Dyyros. She began to think. That had to be one of the human lands, but not on the mainland. She wished she knew more about the human kingdoms. Mage schools refused to recognize the existence of the Worlds of Man as they were called, and only seemed to focus on the elves and everything to the west. Humans are only mentioned because of their treachery at the end of The Great War so many years ago.
Haldirin in her mind yelled, “Dyenarus, you need to leave now! The Ettui are doing something.”
Orznaii answered, “I understand. Revenge will be at hand.”
The man replied, “Very good. Just be sure to get the Relic. Very soon, you as well as the rest of Gyyerlith will get to see the world bleed.”
Very soon! What were they planning? She wanted to find out more, but the flame was beginning to die down. The image of the man was no longer there.
Dyenarus finally said, “Okay, heading back. And do I have some information to tell you guys.”
She turned around to cast her invisibility spell, but as she did, she was greeted with three swords pointed at her. The Ettui who found her gave a sickening smile as they growled at her.
All she could muster was, “Uh oh.”
13
“Damn it!”
The mages watched as the Ettui dragged Dyenarus toward the center of their camp where a large fire was set. The pounding of the door could be heard louder as the Ettui made their celebratory chant to signify an important capture. The Garchai wanted in too, but for other reasons.
Two Ettui held her arms as they awaited Orznaii’s arrival. Condarin ran over to Haldirin and Neeza, panic written all over her face.
“She’s in trouble! We have to help her!”
Haldirin nodded, “We can’t stop them all, but we have to at least try and divert their attention so we can get enough off her.”
Neeza was trying to think of a way, but the harder he tried, the more he thought about forgetting her. Why would that idea ever enter his mind? He made a promise to everyone that he would bring them home alive. Promises . . . promises were made to be broken. Neeza covered his ears, trying to silence the other voice in his mind.
Haldirin asked, “Are you okay?”
Neeza quickly said, “Yes, I’m just trying to think of a way to save her.”
Haldirin could see his leader and friend had changed somehow. While he was staring forward, from time to time, he almost believed he caught a sinister look on his face. Was the power of the Relic doing this?