Rise of the Nightkings

by Levi Samuel

  The steam continued to rise, and with it the heat. Inyalia walked for another hour, keeping her bow at the ready. She was fortunate for the glowing fungus, but she suspected it was a result of the steam. She only hoped it didn’t produce toxic spores. That would have been a hell of a way to go after everything she’d been through.

  Rounding the corner, the tunnel opened into a somewhat small chamber. Rock formations grew from the floor, creating a series of shallow pools. And there, leaned against the side of one of the larger puddles, Tylor rested.

  He’d disrobed and was sprawled out in the steaming water. His armor and clothes were piled along the rim. A wide smile breeched his lips.

  “Glad you could join me. Come on in, the water’s fine.”

  Inyalia lowered her bow. She wanted to hit him, but she was also happy to see he was okay. “What were you thinking? You leave in the middle of the night, and now I find you—taking a bath.”

  “Relax. I wouldn’t have left you. I got my brace finished and wanted to test it out. What better way than by doing something useful.”

  Inyalia smirked. “Well, you have a point there. You were becoming quite rancid.”

  “I was referring to finding out where this tunnel goes. But now that you mention it, finding these pools was a good thing. The heat is loosening my leg nicely. I can almost bend it completely now.” Tylor splashed. “Come on. Take a break. We’ve both needed a bath for a long while.”

  Shaking her head, Inyalia dropped her pack and laid her bow across the top. She wasn’t comfortable letting it out of reach. But there was only one way in and one way out. She could see both. Letting her shoulders droop slightly, she unbuckled her armor, laying it beside her pack. Turning her back to Tylor, she glanced over her shoulder. “Close your eyes.”

  “What? It’s not like you have anything I haven’t seen before.”

  “Well, you haven’t seen me, so close your eyes.”

  Exhaling, Tylor closed his eyes and waited.

  Quickly, Inyalia undressed and climbed into the pool. Submerging herself, she leaned against the smoothed side, watching both tunnels while keeping Tylor across from her. She’d be lying if she said she didn’t care for him. But she wasn’t ready to physically act upon it. “You can open your eyes now.”

  Tylor smiled, seeing her across from him. “See? The water feels amazing.”

  Inyalia smiled, though it was a false smile. He wasn’t wrong, but she was somewhat uneasy about being unarmed in an unfamiliar place. Keeping her eyes locked on the entrances, she casually waved her arms through the hot water.

  Studying her face, Tylor leaned between Inyalia and her focus. “Hey! It’s going to be all right. I scouted ahead before coming back here. It opens into another large chamber with an old rock bridge that looks nearly collapsed. That’s what brought me back here. It could be the only way out and I didn’t want to risk it breaking until we both made it across.

  It seemed he was using his brain after all. A genuine smile formed this time. Inyalia let herself relax slightly. Feeling the warmth, she closed her eyes and laid back.

  “See what I mean? This is wonderful.” Tylor stretched out, his feet breaching the surface with a splash that threw water over Inyalia’s head.

  “Hey!” Her eyes shot open. Seeking retribution, she splashed water back at him, ensuring he suffered far worse.

  Tylor thrust his hand forward, sending a towering wave toward her. He was glad to see she was loosening up.

  Inyalia gasped, feigning shock he’d do such a thing. Laughing, forgetting the severity of their circumstances for a moment, she flung her arms, sending her own waves over him. Lost in the moment, she hadn’t realized the movement was carrying them closer. She paused, just out of reach, staring into his deep brown eyes.

  Tylor wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her to him. She was so beautiful and smart. Not to mention the fact that he had little doubt she could kick his ass in battle. But he was her mentor, even if in title only. And she was his friend and commander’s daughter. It didn’t matter that she was only a few cycles younger. He had a duty. To betray it was to dishonor himself. Frozen in the moment, he stared at her, wanting to move closer but knowing he had to pull away.

  A loud click drew their attention to the edge of the tunnel. Four squat, but broad men stood there, strange looking spears pointed their direction. Only they didn’t hold them like spears. And they didn’t have a blade for the head. Instead, it was capped with a flared tube that resembled a horn. Each of the short men carried a long, thick beard, but they ranged in color from red to black, and their armors were of a heavy metal vaguely reminiscent of steel.

  The lead man stepped forward, keeping his odd-looking spear directed at them. “Looks like we got ourselves a couple o’ trespassers.”

  Chapter XIII

  Creatures of the Dark

  Inyalia studied the strange spears. They weren’t shaped right to provide a clean throw. If anything, they would have been better suited for use as clubs. But the short men weren’t holding them as such. Placed against their shoulders and pointed, there was no way they could get a good throw. With so many things in her favor, Inyalia lunged for her bow. She was fast enough, she could fire two, maybe three arrows before they got a good hit. And by then Tylor could be upon them with his daggers.

  An ear shattering boom filled the chamber, echoing long afterward. Smoke rolled from the end of the horn-like tube, leaving a thick haze to mix with the steady supply of steam. It smelled of sulfur.

  The volume of the spear made Inyalia jump. She’d never heard anything quite like it. Moreover, some kind of projectile hit the rocks in front of her bow, blocking her path. Having fired a few of her own, she knew a warning shot when she saw one.

  “Don’t try that again, lass.” The man whose spear was smoking tipped it toward the ceiling. He grabbed a small parchment wrapped cylinder and bit the end off. Inside was filled with a black sand. He poured it into the tube before stuffing the rest of the cylinder atop it. Spitting the parchment plug, he drew a long metal rod from the underside of his spear and pack the contents of the tube, much like tamping a pipe.

  One of the others stepped forward, keeping his spear trained on them while the lead man reloaded. Gesturing with the end of his weapon, he spoke. “Git out o’ the pool and stand by that wall!”

  The others filed around him and began rummaging through the gear piled on the floor. They collected everything except the tattered clothing, leaving them where they lay. Carrying the effects from the chamber, they fell into a defensive formation just outside.

  The lead man slung his weapon over shoulder. It rested on a leather strap. “All right, ye two. Get dressed. Yer commin’ with us.”

  Inyalia shot a wicked glare to Tylor. She was furious. But it wasn’t directed solely at him. She was angry with herself as well. She knew better than to let her guard down. She knew better than to disarm. But she ignored her instincts. It really didn’t matter that Tylor had told her it was safe. She should have checked for herself. Hastily, she rushed forward and snatched up her clothes. Any modesty she’d had was currently drowned in rage.

  Tylor limped forward. Without the brace, his knee was weak as ever. And now, due to the water, it wasn’t even stiff enough to keep him upright. Losing his balance, he crashed to the floor.

  Inyalia, barely having her breeches in place, rushed to his side.

  “What’s wrong with ye? Git up an’ get yer clothes on.”

  Inyalia’s head whipped around, spitting venom at the short man. “He can’t. His leg was damaged. He can’t walk without his crutch!”

  The man gestured to one of the others, holding out his hand. He held the wooden crutch a moment later, inspecting it. “I’m afraid I can’t do it, lass. Wouldn’t take anything ta make it a weapon.” He handed the device back to the other.

  “There’s another way.” Tylor pulled himself into a sitting position, cradling his leg. “With my things, I had a small brace made
of wood and cloth. It’ll allow me to walk. If you get it, I think you’ll see that it can’t be used as a weapon.”

  Though mostly hidden by his dark red facial hair, the squat man smiled ear to ear. “Anything can be used fer a weapon if yer desperate enough.” He nodded to the one who had handed him the crutch.

  The man dropped the bundle of armor and began digging through the loose pieces. Finding what he believed the male elf was referring to, he pulled it out and handed it to his superior.

  Inspecting it, the lead man decided someone would have to be extremely desperate to use it in a lethal manner. There were far better options with rocks and sticks. He tossed it to the elf. “Put it on and let’s go.”

  “Hurry up, lass. I won’t be tellin’ ya again.” One of the others poked Inyalia in the ribs, urging her away from the male.

  Inyalia glared her distain. Getting to her feet, she snatched her tunic off the floor and pulled it over her torso. She wanted nothing more than to put an arrow through him, all of them. But that wasn’t an option. They had her bow. And with their strange weapons, she now had no doubts that they were much quicker than she.

  Tylor twisted the straps and secured them into place. Removing the joint locks, he tested the motion. It was a little looser than he preferred, but he’d made it when his leg was still swollen. It seemed the water had helped in that department as well. But after a few hours of walking, he had little doubt it would revert. Covering himself, Tylor slowly got to his feet.

  “Let’s go!” The man who’d poked Inyalia barked, taking position behind them.

  The lead man turned and marched out the tunnel, and the other two waited for them all to pass, taking position at the rear of the group.

  The stone walls had transitioned flawlessly from natural cavern to carved stone. Inyalia wasn’t sure when one had ended and the other began. They were led through a series of tunnels, over seemingly damaged bridges, and through holes that, upon first glance, didn’t appear large enough for the smallest child to crawl through. But these odd men seemed to see things differently than Inyalia did. They traveled paths she would have believed untraversable if not being ushered by the end of a weapon. She was surprised by how bright it was. The glowing fungus had grown more dense the deeper they went. There had been the occasional lowlight, especially in the narrower tunnels, but it never lasted long, not that it bothered her sight much in the first place.

  She knew Tylor was having trouble keeping up. He’d been wincing with each step for over an hour now and she didn’t know how much longer he was going to be able to keep pace. Their captors seemed to recognize this, she noticed they’d slowed when he began to fall behind.

  The perfectly square corridor they walked came to an abrupt end. Seeing the man ahead of them stop short of the solid wall, she did likewise. Watching, he stood there for several moments, as if waiting for something she couldn’t see.

  A series of rhythmic clicks began to echo in the distance. Gradually, it got louder, closer, until finally, Inyalia saw what they were waiting for. A platform lowered from the ceiling, revealing many chains, sprockets, ropes, and pulleys on the underside for the briefest moment before it settled perfectly into the floor.

  The lead man signaled and marched onto the platform.

  A firm but otherwise gentle impact prodded Inyalia forward. She stepped over the threshold, unable to see where the floor ended, and the platform began. Who were these creatures, whose craftsmanship surpassed even the elves? She had a decent idea, judging by the story Tylor had told her on the mountaintop. But he’d also said they disappeared long ago. If they’d been here all this time, why would they show themselves now?

  Guarded on all sides, Inyalia felt the ground move as the platform started clicking again. It traveled up, caging them in a vertical tunnel. Even if they had the means to escape, there was currently nowhere else to go. Waiting for what felt like forever, the lift finally came to a stop. Inyalia was frozen by what she saw.

  Stretched out before them was a grand underground city. It held many streets and buildings as most surface cities did. But it also had many that extended into the floor and ceiling of the massive chamber suggesting that it had multiple layers, each likely as grand as this one. The center most structure was dome shaped and round. It was easily taller than the cavern chamber surrounding them, but unlike the other buildings, it extended into without adjoining. It was difficult to tell from the distance, but it almost looked like the floor and ceiling was carved out around it, and a series of thick chains kept it suspended in the center.

  Inyalia stood in stunned silence, taking it all in. She’d seen grand cities before, considering her own capital among the most beautiful. And while this one wasn’t overly colorful, it held a beauty of its own standard, far superior to anything her people had built. Not even the craftsmanship that had forged Dragon Sanctum could compare to the underground city before her.

  “Welcome ta Deeprock City. She’s a beaut, ain’t she?” The lead dwarf smiled, looking over his beloved home. Giving them a moment to appreciate the wonders before them, he marched forward, exiting the lift before it could begin its descent once again.

  The general design of this layer reminded Inyalia of an amphitheater. They were led along the outer ring, which seemed to be the highest point. It was perfectly flat all the way around, or so it appeared. Without tools she couldn’t be certain, though she suspected with the amount of skill that had gone into building this place, a level floor was probably nothing to write home about.

  The descending rings got progressively wider as they neared the center. Each was adjoined in many places by stone walkways, bridges, and ramps. And each, save for the outer ring held hundreds of structures, both large and small. The outer ring held only four, set equal distance apart. A ramp protruded from the back side, seeming to be the only entrance into the city itself.

  Approaching one of the outer buildings, Inyalia counted four guards awaiting their arrival. Like their captors, they stood of similar height and width. They held a stockiness she hadn’t seen anywhere else. Between that and the speed of their weapons, what chance of escape did they have now? These creatures had an intimate knowledge of the underground passageways, seeing things Inyalia hadn’t, even when she knew where to look. It was like the stronghold atop the mountain all over again, only this time, it didn’t reveal its secrets even after going through.

  Their escort came to a stop before the stationed guards. Their lead took a step forward, gripping the extended arm of one of the guards and pulled him in to a brotherly hug. The two exchanged a few words in a language Inyalia couldn’t understand. Though the tone suggested it was an exchange of humor. Ending their laugh, he turned and pointed to the subdued pair, continuing his story. He gestured toward the lower half of Tylor.

  The guard nodded in agreement and added his own commentary. Giving a quick salute, he turned and barked orders to the men behind him.

  Inyalia watched the gate to the large house open. Their escort returned to his station, marching in a seemingly formal capacity. Doing an about-face, so he was facing the guardhouse once again, he signaled and the group marched forward as a whole, pulling Inyalia and Tylor in step with them.

  As they passed, two of the stationed guards spun and fell in beside the group. The added security would ensure there were no last minute attempts to flee, not that Tylor had much chance to go anywhere with his leg. And Inyalia wasn’t about to abandon him, even if she knew how to escape the underground.

  In silence, they navigated the guardhouse, passing through a number of pinch points and open barriers. It seemed the house was built for a single intention of slowing large numbers in the event of an attack. Passing the final gate, they descended onto the ramp that led to the city’s next ring.

  Inyalia hadn’t seen it before, but upon the ramp, she realized just how far of a drop it was between the outer ring and those within. A wide chasm separated the two, making it impossible for someone to simply jump, or lower them
selves with a rope. And with the glowing red and heat that radiated from the chasm, the ramps appeared to be the only safe means of crossing.

  Another guardhouse stood at the base of the ramp, similar in design to the one above. Only this one held an extended balcony around the upper level, which was occupied by several of the stout beings, each one armed with the loud boomsticks their captors carried. Inyalia noticed a few minor differences between her captors and the city guard. The guards wore red tabards over their armor that depicted what appeared to be a blackened stone in the center. This wasn’t overly surprising, as even the elves made sure their guard were clearly affiliated in case of emergency. It was for this reason the rangers wore no such tabards. They operated away from the larger population, and tabards didn’t hold up so well in the elements. But it was the change in weaponry that brought some questions.

  Aside from those atop the guardhouse, none of the others seemed to carry the odd projectile weapons. Instead, large axes, heavy hammers, massive picks, and even the occasional sword made up the bulk of their assortment. Though even the swords, as simple in design as the weapon was, were much different than any she’d seen before. These were thick and made of a black metal that seemed to shine of its own accord. Inyalia had a feeling the head of her last real arrow was made of the same material. Considering where she’d found the ore, what else could it be?

  The added guards fell back, taking position outside the ramp fixed gate. It served as the initial opening to the new structure, as well as the last line of defense if the ramp was overrun. Entering the second guardhouse, Inyalia saw four new guards, posted in each corner of the room. They watched in silence, refusing to give the slightest sign of life. Unlike its counterpart atop the ramp, this room was completely open on the inside, save for a thick rope railing that barred off a square shaped hole in the floor. The outer perimeter was unobstructed, offering three doorways that led into the city proper.