by Max Irons
"Hold your breath," said Mason.
Galeron inhaled and held it. Too many years at war taught him to take strange orders. Flames leaped from the bronze nozzle and engulfed the charging rebels. Wind whipped past Galeron's ears toward the flames, as if the fire was not satisfied with flesh, but consumed the air itself. Rebels screamed and beat themselves to extinguish the flames. Men further down the corridor clutched at their throats and struggled to breathe before collapsing into jerking heaps. Within moments, it was over. The marines ceased pumping, the flames extinguished, and the air returned to normal.
His new normal included the smell of a burning man. Galeron exhaled and stared at the canister. Portable magefire. Lethal and quick in such close quarters. They stepped over the burning corpses and proceeded down the passageway. The same scenarios played themselves out multiple times. They would reach a group of rebels, and depending on their size, either plow through them or burn them alive with the magefire canister. After eliminating several of the rebel pockets, though, they were no closer to finding Prince Lattimer or Iven. There had been no sign of Atreus or Hekor, either.
"Where are we, Deathstalker?" asked Mason as they rounded another corner.
"I don't know, lieutenant," Galeron said. "I wasn't able to make a map the last time I was here."
"Perhaps you should pay better attention to your surroundings," Mason said. "A marine would."
He scowled. "I wasn't a marine. I was an informer. I'd say that makes me pretty good at that, but there's only so many ways to describe a tunnel."
The corridor opened up into a large chamber with five large holes cut out of one wall. Drake crews manned the culverin or magefire-hurling catapults that faced the sea. Barrels of night dust stood next to the culverin emplacements. One of the firing bays.
"Take them out," Mason said.
Galeron switched to his sword and followed the surging marines into the chamber. The clash devolved quickly into dozens of dueling pairs and groups as the marines lost their formation in the wider setting. Galeron fell back to Lonni's side and covered her back. They fended off Drakes, with him hacking away and listening for the occasional crack of her pistolette firing. He rammed his blade through a Drake he'd knocked off his feet and looked up, only to get thrown to the ground by a marine's body crashing into him.
He pulled himself up, his vision spinning. In the doorway, dressed in grimy mixture of plate armor and chain mail, stood Hektor, his hand raised. A gust of wind blew a group of marines to the ground. One went spinning out of a firing port and vanished into the open air.
"Your return was expected," said Hektor. "Atreus has other matters, so I deliver Great Spirit's judgment."
Galeron stepped forward, shield raised. "Where is Iven?"
"Dead," said Hektor.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Galeron froze, his stomach tightening into an icy knot. He was lying. He had to be. "Tell me a new story, Hektor."
"It is truth, Deathstalker," Hektor said. "Belief from you is not needed."
His knuckles whitened on the hilt of his sword. Hektor was just trying to get inside his head. It was a mind game. There was always a catch, something that wasn't clear.
But if Iven really had died...
No. That could be determined later. Hektor was here. Atreus was not. Kill Hektor, and slaying the Drake leader became much easier.
Easier said than done.
Hektor raised his hand, and an arrow sprouted in his shoulder. He grunted, and Galeron whirled around.
Iven stood at the edge of a firing port, bow in hand, dripping wet, and heaving for breath. "Miss me, Hektor?"
He glared at him and yanked the arrow from his shoulder. "You died, archer."
Iven gave him a wry smile. "I started feeling better. Nothing a dip in the sea won't cure." He nodded at Galeron and strode. "You took your time. Stop for a drink?"
Despite the battle, relief washed over Galeron. Iven was alive. He'd managed to get here in time. "You know me."
A whip of air hurled Galeron to the ground, and he slid across the stone floor. Pay attention! He pulled himself to his feet and saw Lonni flying towards him. He dropped his sword and caught her in one arm, though the force of impact drove them both backward and nearly wrenched his arm from its socket. Iven unleashed a flurry of arrows at Hektor, but they missed their mark as gusts of wind batted them away.
Iven growled and kept firing, making his way to Galeron and Lonni. Galeron picked up his blade and looked from one companion to the other. He couldn't get close enough to Hektor, and Iven's arrows couldn't touch him.
"How good a shot are you?" Galeron asked Lonni.
"Good enough," she said.
"Iven, distract him and let Lonni get in for the shot," Galeron said.
"This is going to involve a lot of bruises, isn't it?" asked Iven.
Galeron looked at Lonni. "Don't miss."
She swallowed and nodded.
Galeron raised his shield and charged toward Hektor. Iven yelled and fired arrows, one after the other, at his face. Hektor knocked them away again and grabbed Galeron and Iven in vice grips of air. He slammed them into the wall. Galeron gagged and heaved as the wind was torn from his lungs, sword and shield clattering to the floor. Spots and stars danced in his vision, and Hektor hurled them both toward the firing port. Galeron hit the ground and tumbled to the edge, stopping just short, but then Iven collided with him. He bounced over Galeron and grabbed his belt before sliding over the side.
Iven's weight dragged him out the opening. As his feet hit thin air, Galeron latched on to the wooden beam of a nearby catapult. His other arm twisted and got stuck under his body, pinned by Iven and his position. His free arm and chest ached and burned. Lonni screamed from somewhere before the shrill cries choked away. Iven's hand slipped on his belt.
"Hanging on up there?" asked Iven.
Galeron grunted. "Not really...the time..."
"Faced with imminent death, when else can I make a terrible joke?" asked Iven.
"Hush," he growled.
Hektor appeared above them, a smirk on his face. "Too easy." He drew his sword and raised it over Galeron's arm.
Galeron winced and closed his eyes. This was going to hurt.
Crack!
The blow never came, and Galeron peeled one eye open. Hektor's steely expression didn't change, even with a hole where his forehead used to be, but his weapon fell from his grasp, and he tumbled out of the firing bay. Iven climbed up Galeron's side, his hand slipping and grabbing the neck of his chain mail shirt. Galeron choked and hacked as Iven pulled himself up, tightening the armor around his neck.
"Sorry," Iven mumbled as he hauled himself further up. He vanished from Galeron's back with a muffled, "Thanks."
Free of his weight, Galeron popped his arm out from under his back, and his shoulder's screams faded to a throb. A slender hand grabbed his free one and hauled him back into the bay. His muscles burned as he glanced up at Lonni, who knelt next to him.
"You're welcome," she said.
Galeron stood up, wincing. "That was you?"
Lonni smirked. "I'm stronger than I look." She took up her pistolette, smoke still drifting from the barrel in faint wisps, and placed a lead ball into its barrel. "That's twice you owe me now. I killed your mage and pulled you up." She drew a slender ramrod and jammed the shot into the weapon. "I like having you in my debt."
Iven laughed. "Life must be bad if you brought her along."
Lonni cocked the firing mechanism and glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He blinked. "Did you hear something? I didn't say anything." He shrugged. "Must have been the wind."
"Just know I was all the way across the room when I shot him," Lonni said.
Iven snorted. "Everyone knows pistolettes aren't that accurate."
"Mine are." She slipped the weapon back in its holster. "I drilled spirals into the barrels. It makes the shot more accurate."
"That's a strange thought," Ive
n said. "Where did you get that idea?"
She sniffed. "Some idiot archer from a caravan."
That could be handy. Galeron rubbed his shoulder and stretched it out. The skirmish between the marines and the rebels wound down as Mason's men finished off the last of the stragglers. He collected his sword and shield and joined the lieutenant at the firing bay's entrance.
"One mage left," Galeron said.
Mason grunted. "We're going back the way we came. There's no other route out of here. Don't suppose you have any suggestions."
Galeron glanced at Iven. "Know where the prince is?"
Iven rubbed his forehead. "No. Hektor and I played a game of cat and mouse before I ended up in the sea. Lattimer could be in the same spot, Atreus might have moved him, or he could be dead. Who knows?"
Galeron shook his head, trying to squash the sick feeling that festered in his mind and gut. Lattimer wasn't dead. He couldn't be, could he? No, he'd believe it only when he saw the body. Assuming there even was a body. They reformed and headed back into the tunnels, tracing their route all the way back to the cave's harbor.
Pockets of fire and fighting still raged as marine and Drake wrangled for control of the piers, but they ignored them. The royal marines held their own for the time being. Explosions rocked the cave as Captain Arno continued his naval bombardment. They charged up a different tunnel system, running over small groups of rebels until they emerged at a familiar crossroad.
Galeron held up a hand. "Here. I remember this place." He pointed to the right. "Atreus held the prince in the map room."
"Finally," Mason said.
They hurried down the passageway. Galeron tasted acrid bile in his throat. Atreus lay just beyond the final turn. They were here at last. Galeron and the marines emerged into the map room, only to find it deserted. He blinked. Where was Atreus? Where was Prince Lattimer? The shackles on the wall hung empty. Half the wall lanterns dark and smoldering. If they weren't here, then where had they gone?
"I don't understand," Galeron said.
"Annoying, but not shocking," Iven said. "Whatever Atreus has in mind, I guess he wasn't going to stay here to do it."
"Where'd they take him?" asked Mason.
His mind spun. Where would Atreus have taken the prince? His face contorted into a frown, and he took off his helmet, rubbing his temples. It didn't make any sense. Boiling bones, where had they gone?
"Focus," Lonni said. She stepped next to him and lowered her voice. "Think about it. What does Atreus want?"
Galeron inhaled. "He wants to turn the prince into a mage."
Her eyes widened. "Thanks for keeping me informed."
He winced. "Forgot. Sorry."
Iven patted Galeron's back. "Life has been moving a bit fast for the both of us. We could sit down and tell you everything but--"
"Not now." She shook her head and took a few breaths herself. "If that's Atreus's goal, and he had to leave from here, where would he go?"
"I don't know," Galeron said
"Becoming a mage. From what you know, it's a long process, right?" asked Lonni.
He nodded. "You need a near-death experience."
"It can't be easy with a battle raging," Lonni said. "You'd need a place that's at least somewhat removed to control the process."
"Yes," Galeron said, his mind spinning. Where could a man go for something like that? "The battle's all over the place. I don't think anyone could escape it."
"But you recognized this area." Lonni put a hand on his mailed sleeve. "How did you get in before?"
"We climbed in..."
His voice trailed away. Changing the prince would need preparation. Precisely what kind of near-death Atreus wanted was unknown, but it was possible they hadn't managed to start until the royal marines arrived. In that case, the best place to go would have been...
"The top of the cliff," Iven said. "There are tunnels that lead up there, and it's the last place that the marines would reach." He grinned. "That's where they are."
Of course. Why hadn't he thought of that? Galeron turned to the lieutenant. "We follow the pathway up. At the very end, it'll take us to the cliff top and the prince."
"You'd better be right about this," Mason said.
The marines moved back to the crossroads, and they began working their way up the passage. Another explosion rocked the caves, and stones tumbled out of the ceiling. Iven dove forward and scrambled up the passage. Galeron ducked as a rock whizzed by his head. He raised his shield. More bounced down and started filling the tunnel. If it collapsed, they'd have to go all the way out and up the slopes the long way. He had to run. Galeron turned, but caught sight of Lonni. He'd promised Rand to protect her, to keep her alive.
"Galeron, hurry up," said Iven from further ahead.
Me and my mouth. Galeron grabbed her arm. This wasn't what he'd had in mind. He raced up the tunnel with her, covering them both with his shield and leaving Mason's marines to sort themselves out. Rocks clattered off his shield and helmet, and the roar of the collapsing tunnel behind them drowned out all other noise. Dust whirled past them, and the clamor ceased.
They stopped, both heaving and coughing. Galeron spat out a mouthful of rock.
"We left the marines behind," Lonni said.
That much was obvious, but he bit his tongue. "This is the only way I know to the top." He wiped his mouth. "If the tunnel collapsed in front of us, the prince is as good as dead."
She nodded, clutching her stomach. "But why grab me?"
"I promised Rand I'd bring you back alive," Galeron said. "Can't do that if you aren't with me."
Lonni scowled at him. "So, you decided the safest place for me was fighting another mage with you?"
Well, when she put it that way...
"Guess I really didn't think that one through," Galeron said. "I'm not used to working with a fresh face."
"If we get out of this, you and I are going to have a very long talk."
He could wonder about that one later. Galeron shrugged. "Suit yourself."
Iven waited for them a bit further away. He frowned at Lonni. "You brought her?"
Galeron threw up his hands. "Promised to watch her."
They continued up the tunnel, walls shuddering when a ketch's shot hit its mark. The route started to narrow, and one of the barrack chambers emerged up ahead. Galeron held out a hand and put a finger to his lips. He inched forward and peeked around the entryway.
Ten rebels stood around the room. Most of them only wore mail hauberk, but one of them was clad in full plate. A giant of a man, towering a good head above the others and hands resting on the pommel of a large morning star, spiked end glittering in the lantern light. His armor had a strange curve to it and lacked distinct flat surfaces. The others carried short swords or spears. No shields among them.
Galeron slunk back to Lonni and Iven. With two pistolettes and that firelock, she could kill three, maybe four, before having to engage in hand to hand combat. His heart sank. That still left four or five men to tackle at once, and the man in plate would need special attention until he was taken down.
"Can those pierce plate?" He pointed at one of the pistolettes.
"No. The caliber is too small."
"The what?"
Lonni sighed. "And you were a soldier."
"It's the size of the shot," Iven said. "But who cares? What have we got ahead?"
Galeron described the situation, and Iven winced.
"The big one's going to be trouble." He fingered the fletching on an arrow. "He's got concave armor. It's all curvy, and there's no flat surface. Bodkins will just slide off instead of punching through."
"The mule could do it," Lonni said, gesturing to the firelock on her back. "I'd need to be right up against him, though."
There was no way the armored rebel would let her get that close. Galeron winced. This wasn't going to be fun. "We'll have to overwhelm the others before the bigger one can react."
Lonni slid her hammer back into her belt a
nd drew both pistolettes. "Lucky I'm a good shot."
Galeron inched closer to the barrack entrance and readied his blade. He took a deep breath, felt the well-worn grooves in the leather wrapped hilt, and stepped out. The black blade slid through the first rebel's throat with ease. Iven's bow sang out twice. Three men down before they could react.
The crack-crack of Lonni's weapons reverberated in the stone chamber. White smoke drifted across his field of vision as Galeron swung for the armored rebel. The man brought his morning star up and blocked his strike. The spiked club whooshed toward his face, and Galeron caught the blow on his shield's face.
Wood splintered under the blow, and the shield shifted in his grip. Galeron thrust his blade in an uppercut. The man dislodged his weapon and countered. Another strike drew further moans from his shield. A fissure permeated the wood between the grip and arm strap that held it in place.
He swallowed and stepped back. Couldn't take another hit like that. Galeron thrust for the man's legs, but he sidestepped and cracked him across the back of the head. Galeron swerved, but his helmet took a glancing blow. His eyesight wavered. The room shifted back and forth, into focus and out of focus. He stumbled back, grip on his sword tightening. He couldn't lose it this time. Lonni grunted from somewhere across the room. He looked around, but she was nowhere in sight.
Galeron backed into the wall and slid, just as the morning star crushed the space his head had occupied moments before. Too close. He sprang forward on all fours and collided with the rebel but bounced off him. This one was strong, a mountain of a man. Galeron pulled himself to his feet and ducked under the next strike, swinging up and knocking away an attack with his sword. The counterblow shoved him back across the room. He stumbled and stared at the armored man pounding across the floor.
A man like that had to be heavy.
He dropped to the ground at the last moment and curled into a ball, holding his shield over him. The armored rebel's legs hit him, and he toppled to the ground. Galeron gasped as the metal boots kicked his already cracked ribs. Taking shallow breaths, he got to his feet and pulled out his mace, pounding the back of the man's armored skull until he didn't move.