by Josh Vogt
The embers within her guttered and died. Her bones became rods of ice, the chill seeping through to clutch at her heart, which beat slower with every breath. Only a handful left, she guessed.
She caressed Ondorum's face with a trembling hand. His eyes opened, meeting hers. His burnt and bleeding lips twitched.
A shadow fell over them. Akina raised her head.
Ularna stood there. Her stolid expression had broken into shock, and she stared down as if not understanding what she saw.
Akina raised shaking fists. Ondorum shivered in her lap, also gazing up at the duergar monk. They waited for the final blows.
Ularna blinked, once, slowly. Then she bowed, fist pressed to fist. She turned and strode away, passing by all ongoing fights without regard until she walked straight into the stone wall of the tunnel and disappeared.
Akina looked back at Ondorum, and they shared the slightest of disbelieving smiles.
With another shudder, his eyelids fluttered closed.
She bent to kiss his brow, but the motion tipped her over into an endless fall.
Epilogue
Vows
Akina opened her eyes to find herself in a simple bed, woolen blanket drawn to her chin. A fire blazed in a nearby hearth. She lay in a room of rough-hewn walls, undecorated, with a clay jug, cup, and washbasin set on a low table. Off in the distance, a soothing din of dwarven voices chanted in rhythm with bellows and hammers.
Recalling her last moments, Akina quirked a smile. This must be the afterlife. Plain comforts welcomed her to a new realm, where she'd join in endless revelry and craftsmanship under Torag's provenance, alongside all those who'd gone before her. Would she see her mother and brother? Would her father be in attendance, ready to embrace her after so long apart?
She took a quaking breath, longing for her departed family and eternal rest.
But... would Ondorum be here as well? Or had his soul taken a different path? What if they'd parted forever?
Tears sprang to her eyes at the thought of spending eternity without seeing him again. To her surprise, the tears stung before tracking down her cheek. Quite an irritating sensation for a spirit such as herself. She reached up to brush the tears away.
At the movement, a figure leaned into view near the head of her bed. A hand settled on her shoulder.
She stared at the hand for the longest time. Whole and strong, the gray skin unmarred. A healthy ridge of amethyst crystals tracked up the forearm. She reached over and ran a fingertip along these. Ondorum's face bent into view, half-shaded by the firelight. His burnt-away hair had been replaced by dark gray stubble.
"I told you they'd grow back," he said.
She swallowed past the rock in the back of her throat."Where... How..."
"We're in a convalescence chamber in Taggoret's temple to Torag. The cleric has been by several times. Despite the healing, he..." Ondorum glanced aside."He was not sure if you'd wake." A corner of his mouth tugged up."I'm glad you chose to do so."
He stood and poured water from the jug into the cup. When he tried to lift it to her lips, she struggled upright and took the cup for herself. Taking a few sips gave her a chance to analyze her own body. She expected a few twinges here and there, a few deeper aches, but... nothing. No tearing or splitting or spilling her guts into her lap, or other more worrisome symptoms. She could've dreamt the whole battle.
She slugged back the rest of the water and held the cup out for more."What happened after?"
He explained as he refilled."It's been four days since the battle ended."
"Four days!"
"The duergar fled and the city stood." He bowed his head."Still, we lost... many. Their names are now being inscribed in the tunnel walls as repairs are made. Clerics tended to those they could save and, fortunately, found us before we faded too far."
Clasping hands behind his back made the front of his robe part, revealing his muscled chest. Akina eyed it hungrily, remembering what she'd promised herself right before the battle began.
"Scouting parties are working through the lower tunnels to root out any lingering duergar. Envoys have been sent to all major cities and fortresses near any surface gates, putting them on alert for possible increased Darklands activities." He met her gaze at last."And in the wake of it all, I realized what my silence helped me discover."
She peered up at him."Oh?"
"Truth." He held a hand up, palm outward."From this moment forward, in your presence and beneath the eyes of Irori, I swear a vow of truth. No matter the circumstances, no falsehood shall pass between my lips. No deceit will lurk within my heart, and I will strive to strike down lies wherever they exist."
Akina scrubbed her forehead and sighed."Can't figure if this is better or worse than your first vow."
He locked eyes with her."For as long as you'll have me, Akina Fairingot, I promise to be by your side, to fight for you, to learn to love what you love, to inspire dread in your enemies and be your shield in battle. These words and all the actions they may prompt are true."
She stared, the speechless one for once. Then a grin crept up her cheeks, along with a deep flush she hoped the firelight hid. When her tongue started working again, her voice had gone husky.
"Ondorum, that sounded an awful lot like a betrothal oath."
He blinked."Did it? I'm not familiar with dwarven customs."
She shook her head and swung her feet out from under the blanket. The plain shift she wore should've left her chilled, but the blaze drove all drafts from the room."We'll figure it out as we go, hm?"
He hastened to her side."What're you doing?"
She pushed him back, determined not to be treated like a youngling just learning to walk. The first few steps went wobbly, but her muscles and bones soon got reacquainted and she stood firm."I'd like to see the city we helped save."
"The cleric said you should continue resting when you woke. Injuries can be more than physical."
"I'll rest when I'm dead." She caught his look and returned it with a grin."Which I don't plan to be for quite a while. If there's work to be done, I'm taking part."
He chuckled."I told them you'd say as much. They didn't believe me."
"Good thing you know me so well. Otherwise you'd already have to go back on being truth-sworn. Now, where's my armor?"
Before he could answer, there came a rap on the door, and a middle-aged dwarf bustled in. He wore silver robes and had gold rings threaded through his oiled, black beard. He hesitated, seeing her standing in the plain garment, but she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.
"Well?"
He swept a bow."Stone endures, m'lady. It's a relief to see you up and about. My name is Ruckle, and I represent several of the more vested parties who are indebted to the great service you and your companion performed on our behalf."
"Didn't do it to put anyone in my debt," she said."If anything, I had to work a few off myself."
"As you say." His teeth gleamed."But if there's anything we can do to repay you for such noble deeds, you have but to ask."
"Right. I'd like to volunteer." Ondorum shifted beside her, and she corrected herself."We'd like to volunteer."
Ruckle's brow drew down, puzzled."For what, may I ask?"
"To join one of the patrols hunting the duergar."
Puzzlement turned to concern."The cleric says you're barely recovered. Are you sure you're fit for that sort of duty?"
"Fitter than anyone you've already got out there." She thumbed at her companion."Just ask him."
Ondorum grimaced."If she says she's ready, there's little point in arguing."
"Figure that for the truth."
Ruckle combed his beard, studying them as if assuring himself they didn't jest at his expense."Actually, I had come to make another request that might still satisfy yours."
"Hm?"
"Ondorum has spoken with us more about the ruins you found, and the details he remembers are quite striking. Especially this forge the duergar sought to corrupt to thei
r own ends. An expedition is being discussed, with the intent of visiting the site and surveying it for our official records." He held out an upturned hand."My patrons were of the hope that you'd consider joining the effort, perhaps provide some guidance along the routes you know and offer a measure of protection. You'd be quite well compensated, of course."
Akina and Ondorum exchanged a look, and she figured the gleam in his eyes matched her own. She thought of Izthuri and the caligni tribe and wondered how they'd fared. What dangers still threatened the ancient settlement, and what more might they discover within its walls and beneath its foundations? What might she learn about her ancestors and her place among them? Her mother's bones and brother's body waited to be properly honored and buried, and she now knew where to carve a gladdringgar of her own.
Clapping Ruckle on the shoulder, she guided him out the door."Tell your masters we'll give it some serious thought, so long as the pay's as grand as I'm thinking."
He murmured thanks and headed off to deliver the message. She remained at the doorway, looking down the hall to where flames and shadows rose from a set of forges. The temple thrummed with song and the tumult of dwarves turning raw ore and alloys into pieces worth admiring for generations to come.
"What do you see?" Ondorum asked.
"Choices," she said."Opportunities. More than I ever imagined having." She turned and flashed a grin."What say we make something of them, hm?"
About the Author
Josh Vogt is an author and full-time freelance writer whose work has been published in dozens of genre markets, with stories covering fantasy, science fiction, horror, humor, pulp, and any combination of the above. This is his debut novel.
Akina and Ondorum also appear in"The Price Paid," a prequel web fiction story available for free on paizo.com. Additional Pathfinder Tales shorts available on the website include"The Weeping Blade" and"Hunter's Folly." For other novels, look to his forthcoming urban fantasy series, The Cleaners, which commences with Enter the Janitor (2015) and The Maids of Wrath (2016).
As a copywriter, Josh works with a roster of international clients, crafting advertising and sales copy, content marketing campaigns, and more. He also writes for a wide variety of RPG developers and publishers such as Modiphius, Privateer Press, Gun Metal Games, and Raging Swan Press, producing game manuals, sourcebooks, campaigns, adventure modules, worldbuilding materials, and tie-in fiction.
He's a member of SFWA as well as the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers. You can find him at JRVogt.com or on Twitter @JRVogt. He lives in Denver, Colorado.
Glossary
All Pathfinder Tales novels are set in the rich and vibrant world of the Pathfinder campaign setting. Below are explanations of several key terms used in this book. For more information on the world of Golarion and the strange monsters, people, and deities that make it their home, see The Inner Sea World Guide, or dive into the game and begin playing your own adventures with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook or the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Beginner Box, all available at paizo.com.
Abyss: Plane of evil and chaos ruled by demons, where many evil souls go after they die.
Arcane: Magic that comes from mystical sources rather than the direct intervention of a god; secular magic.
Ashen Forge: The realm of the afterlife ruled by Droskar. Located in the Abyss.
Avistan: The northern continent of the Inner Sea region, on which the Five Kings Mountains are located.
Blightburn: Dangerous radioactive crystals found in the Darklands.
Boneyard: Pharasma's realm, where all souls go to be judged after death.
Bugganes: Race of monstrous mole-like beasts that live deep underground.
Caligni: Race of reclusive humanoids who live in tribes deep underground and swaddle themselves in strips of cloth.
Cleric: A religious spellcaster whose magical powers are granted by his or her god.
Construct: Mechanical creature given life through magical means.
Dark Elves: Race of elves who left the surface long ago and turned to the worship of demons.
Dark Smith: Droskar.
Darklander: Resident of the Darklands.
Darklands: Extensive series of subterranean caverns crisscrossing much of the Inner Sea region, known to be inhabited by monsters. Generally divided into three sections: Nar-Voth, Sekamina, and Orv.
Davarn: Small city in the Five Kings Mountains.
Droskar: Evil dwarven deity dedicated to toil, slavery, and cheating. Patron god of the duergar.
Duergar: Race of gray-skinned dwarves that remained in the Darklands instead of ascending to the surface during the Quest for Sky, and who turned to the evil god Droskar for protection.
Dwarves: Short, stocky humanoids who excel at physical labor, mining, and craftsmanship. Originally from the Darklands, the dwarves ascended to the surface millennia ago during the Quest for Sky.
Elemental: Being of pure elemental energy, such as air, earth, fire, or water.
Elves: Long-lived, beautiful humanoids who abandoned Golarion millennia ago and have only recently returned. Identifiable by their pointed ears, lithe bodies, and pupils so large their eyes appear to be one color.
Father of Creation: Torag.
Five Kings Mountains: A large and ancient mountain range in southeastern Avistan. Primarily inhabited by the dwarven nation of the same name.
Fleshwarp: Creatures that were once normal humanoids but have been magically twisted into horrifying shapes by dark elf magic.
Forge Spurned: Damned souls sworn to Droskar and turned into powerful chain-wrapped monstrosities in order to do the god's bidding.
Forgefiends: Scanderigs.
Giants: Race of brawny humanoids many times larger than humans.
Gladdringgar: Dwarven symbols carved in hard-to-reach subterranean places as a rite of passage.
Gnomes: Small humanoids with strange mindsets, big eyes, and often wildly colored hair.
Goblins: Race of small and maniacal humanoids who live to burn, pillage, and sift through the refuse of more civilized races.
Goblinblood Wars: Series of wars that only recently ended, in which goblinoids rampaged through southern Avistan, forcing many different humanoid nations and organizations to band together in order to finally defeat them.
Golem: Type of magical construct, usually humanoid in shape, built to mindlessly serve a master.
Gorum: God of battle, strength, and weapons. Also known as Our Lord In Iron.
Gorumite: Someone who worships Gorum.
Hagegraf: Subterranean capital city of the duergar.
Hell: Plane of evil and tyrannical order ruled by devils, where many evil souls go after they die.
Hobgoblin: Larger, more intelligent kin of regular goblins. Highly organized and militant.
Inner Sea: The vast inland sea whose northern continent, Avistan, and southern continent, Garund, as well as the seas and nearby lands, are the primary focus of the Pathfinder campaign setting.
Irori: God of history, knowledge, self-perfection, and enlightenment. Popular with monks.
Ki: Mystical force or life essence which warrior monks often learn to master, allowing them to perform exceptional feats of strength and agility.
King Taggrick: Founder and first ruler of Taggoret.
Kingtower Pass: Famous mountain pass in the Five Kings Mountains, home to a massive memorial for King Taggrick.
Landshark: Ferocious monster that burrows through solid earth and eats almost anything.
Lizardfolk: Race of reptilian humanoids; often viewed as backward by more"civilized" races.
Long Walk: Massive tunnel thoroughfare through parts of the Darklands, crucial to trade between local subterranean races.
Lord in Iron: Gorum.
Magrim: Lesser-known dwarven deity.
Monk: Someone who devotes himself or herself to enlightenment and self-perfection, often through mastery of the physical body and its use as a weapon.
Na
ga: Race of intelligent, magical creatures with the heads of humans and bodies of snakes.
Nar-Voth: Level of the Darklands closest to the surface.
Ogres: Hulking, half-witted humanoid monsters with violent tendencies and repulsive lusts.
Orc: Race of green- or gray-skinned humanoids with protruding tusks and warlike tendencies. Generally seen as savage and dangerous by other races.
Oread: Humans whose ancestry includes elemental earth magic, resulting in stony or crystalline skin.
Orv: Deepest level of the Darklands, characterized by enormous caverns called Vaults.
Pharasma: The goddess of birth, death, and prophecy, who judges mortal souls after their deaths and sends them on to the appropriate afterlife; also known as the Lady of Graves.
Quest for Sky: Centuries-long journey in which the dwarven race, following a prophecy from Torag, journeyed upward from the depths of the Darklands to settle on the surface.
Scanderigs: Metal giants from another plane of existence that exist only to feed ore into their forge-like bellies. Sometimes used as servants by Droskar.
Sekamina: Middle level of the Darklands, characterized by seemingly unending caverns and tunnels that can span continents.
Sky Citadels: Ten great fortress cities built when the dwarves first emerged onto the surface following their origins in the Darklands.
Sorcerer: Someone who casts spells through natural ability rather than faith or study.
Taggoret: Dwarven city in the Five Kings Mountains.
Tattered Ones: Race of subterranean creatures that can breed with any humanoids, resulting in a bizarre spread of genetic traits even between siblings.
Tian Xia: Continent on the opposite side of the world from the Inner Sea region.
Torag: Stoic and serious dwarven god of the forge, protection, and strategy. Viewed by dwarves as the Father of Creation.
Trolls: Large, stooped humanoids with sharp claws and amazing regenerative powers that are overcome only by fire.
Warg: Larger, more intelligent versions of wolves. Usually evil.
Wizard: Someone who casts spells through careful study and rigorous scientific methods rather than faith or innate talent, recording the necessary incantations in a spellbook.