by Joe Kuster
He whispered, “Thank you, Kalli. I’m guessing Suvbus told you about the essence containers?”
She shook her head, then handed him the small vial that was still three-quarters full of golden liquid. “Prophesy. It took me a bit to figure out what it meant. I think you’ll still need this. That’s the beginning of the last line. I’ll complete the grand foretelling by sundown, regardless of how things go.”
“Is that a good thing?” TJ asked.
She scrutinized him, peering into his cat-like eyes. “I… think I’m ok with where things are heading. You’re still an idiot, but I suppose I can try to keep your ass alive. You’re fucking hopeless without me.”
Not able to argue, he pocketed the essence vial. “Jewels, any chance you know what’s happening above ground? Has the New Order arrived yet?”
She replied, “Ah, uh… So, about that…”
Chapter 39
“What!?” Rachel demanded.
TJ groaned. “What the fuck, Jewels?”
“You’ve been down here for six days, what did you expect would happen? The ones you’ve been fighting were left here to guard the supplies and logistics teams. They were the reserves for invading the rest of the duchy to secure their position,” she said.
Rubbing at his face, he cursed. “So, the city has fallen already?”
“The city has been pacified, but the keep remains under siege. Most of the guards turned on the Duchess once the New Order began filtering into the city. Both the Guild of Thieves and the Guild of Mages sided with the New Order. The mercenaries they didn’t enlist or had already been contracted by third parties were forced outside the city wall. A small contingent is helping put out the fires, but that’s it,” the dungeon announced.
“Serious question, Rachel, what happens if they displace the Duchess?” TJ asked.
She groaned, putting a hand to her forehead. “For one, anyone loyal to the Duchess is sure to be executed. That includes my father. He may be a jackass for lying to me, but I don’t want to see that happen. Control over the counties would be handed over to others loyal to the New Order. That will likely kick off a larger war with the King if they can’t sue for peace. And, well… I assume Kallista’s people would continue to be abducted and turned into slaves. Other churches in the duchy would be pressed out, so I’d assume they’ll try to retake the dungeon. However, I’m willing to bet that we could likely hunker down and protect Serina with Jewels’ help.”
Sighing, he looked to the ceiling. He wished Serina was recovered enough to make the call, but she appeared to be in a deep meditative state.
After rubbing at his temples for nearly a minute, he said, “So, basically, Serina might not need us to save the Duchess, but our allies do.”
Kallista swore several times as she rubbed at the base of her horns in a move the mirrored his own. “I just thought of something. You spent a fortune in promissory notes before we went into the dungeon. Miners, soldiers, equipment, and stuff like that, right?”
TJ nodded, not sure where she was going.
“Those notes are backed against what you have in the Duchess’s bank. I’m pretty sure the New Order is going to clean out her vault along with other nobles they don’t like as soon as they can. That means you’ll be left on the hook for all that money. If they take over and manage to petition for peace, by the King’s law, you’d be made a debt slave. Pretty sure that applies to me too,” she said.
Rachel grimaced. “The King is big on order above all else. If they can justify their invasion through some obscure rule, then he’s likely to let them have control rather than risk a major revolt. They’ve probably prepared for that. So, the Duchess would be deposed. Your contracts, however, would be enforced. If you can’t reclaim your gold from the bank, and they won’t honor the notes, you would be arrested when they come to collect. Everything you own would be sold at a government auction to cover the tab. That includes Kallista due to the writ being filed. You’d then be sold off as a debt slave.”
TJ threw up his arms in frustration. “Well, shit. So, we flee the kingdom or fight. That’s good enough for me. I say we turn the New Order’s army into pink mist. Objections?”
When none came, he began putting together the rudimentary pieces of a plan together. The biggest problem was simply the challenge of finding the people he needed in the city. He could easily scout overhead, but he couldn’t start lobbing death from above if he didn’t know who to kill.
“Jewels, is there any way you can tell me where everyone sided with the New Order is?” he asked.
There was a long pause.
“Only if you took my core with you. However, that will put a lot of strain on me. Much more than I think I can support without dissolving the dungeon entirely. Before you ask, I can’t do that while there are people still inside my domain,” she said.
Producing the vial from his pocket, TJ waggled the golden elixir. “Any chance some of this might make up for it?”
“Half. I’ll do it for half of what you have and your word that you’ll argue on my behalf for fair treatment with Lady Serina. I can route you to any aggressor by temporarily expanding my claim to encompass the surface. But with everyone scattered around, I won’t be able to modify anything or create monsters. Oh, and I also want my books back, whether or not you survive,” she said.
Deciding it sounded like a fair trade, TJ poured half the contents directly onto the small blue gem. It was absorbed the moment it made contact. “Deal.”
“Whew, that’s… potent. The magicians will notice this, but I’m good to go on my side,” she said.
He grabbed the core and eyed it carefully. The golden glow seemed to be working its way through the fine cracks he’d created. As he watched, it began repairing the fissures. Unsure what else to do, he tossed the gem into one of his magically sealed leather pouches.
“Alright, we need to get Redmund’s troops out there too, are they ready to go?” TJ asked.
Jewels answered, “Yes, they have joined up with several other groups and are working their way through the corridors toward the main entrance now. I estimate ten to fifteen minutes until they can filter out.”
Abby stood up and stretched, putting her arms above her head in a way that emphasized her assets. “I believe zat is our cue.”
Exiting the church, TJ was immediately hit with the smell of death and fire. In the gutter, a few bodies lay unmoving as crows pecked at their exposed flesh. Smoke was thick in the air, and sounds of distraught wails could be heard in the distance.
Crossbow pulled tight into his shoulder, he set off toward the city wall at a jog.
A voice bellowed, “Halt in the name of…”
TJ cut the man down with a crossbow bolt to the face the moment he’d spotted the New Order’s symbol on his tunic. Jamming his foot into the stirrup, he quickly worked at reloading his weapon as the others formed up around him.
Jewel’s voice was soft and airy as she said, “The sky. It’s…” She sighed. “Of course, it’d be a flat gray and looking like rain the one day I get to be above ground.”
“If you wait long enough, ze clouds shall surely part. You may even get to see stars tonight. Ze constellations in zis realm are beautiful,” Abby said.
The core’s voice was distant. “Stars… Yes. It’s so hard to remember.”
“I hate to interrupt, but any chance you want to tell me how to get to the mercenaries I hired?” TJ asked. “You said the ones that already were contracted were forced out of the city.”
Jewels replied, “Ah, uhm… left, straight, then another left. That’ll put you on the main boulevard that exits closest to where they are camped.”
Following her instructions, TJ passed several shops that were on fire. Breaking into a run, they covered their mouths and dashed through the black smoke. They had to push their way through a bucket brigade of weary citizens with soot-blackened faces.
When they reached the city gate, it was evident things had not gone smoothly durin
g the invasion. The gate was battered flat and the walls were broken in sections. Heaping carts full of bodies lay unattended, next to dozens more that seemed several days expired. Hundreds of corpses lay waiting for processing, and arrows stuck haphazardly out every wooden surface.
Kalli grimaced as she took in the piles of bodies. “Poor bastards. Waiting in line for a wooden onesie.”
“Know any of them?” Rachel asked.
The rogue nodded. “Two of ‘em were in the guild. Terry was alright, but Floyd was a right cunt.”
Stepping over the remains of the gate, TJ looked to the neighboring field. Just past a huddled mass of displaced refugees, he quickly spotted a blue banner that featured a hawk carrying a snake.
Vectoring in on the company of soldiers he’d contracted to secure Skyridge, TJ pulled his royal crest from a pocket. Getting it positioned to clearly denote his status, he raised his hand in greetings.
“Count Skyridge!” muffled words called out as a figure in heavy steel armor came to attention.
They were clad from head to toe in plate with a large door shield propped nearby, not hinting at what they looked like behind the helmet. Their actions caused a ripple through the crowd as men began to shuffle from their spots around campfires, tents, and tables.
TJ snapped his fingers several times, trying to recall their company name. He’d hired so many that had ended up cobbled together he’d lost track. Looking up at the banners, it clicked.
“Good to see Nostromo Company is back from Thedus,” TJ motioned to the person clad in steel with a replica of their banner emblazoned upon their shoulder, not knowing the soldier’s name or how to decipher the mercenary’s insignia.
Sensing his question, the stout figure added, “Sergeant Shannon Smasher at your service. It’s a bit of a clusterfuck in the city, but we’ve got the full company of two hundred and sixteen ready to depart as requested. The bulk of us are mustered in the fields nearby. We’ve just been waiting for you to meet with our officers and sign their commission before we leave for Skyridge.”
“Change of plans, sergeant. We’re clearing the city of the New Order,” TJ said.
Curses rang out as soldiers began sprinting back into their tents to fetch gear, and the quartermaster began tossing open crates and travel trunks that had been mounted to wagons. Just out of sight, someone hammered on a hollow log several times in some sort of drum signal. Runners bolted, not waiting for the rest of the message as they began sprinting to their horses. In seconds they were galloping into the surrounding countryside to gather their forces.
The sergeant pulled his war hammer from a belt loop and idly thumbed the haft in anticipation.
“One more thing. If you see anyone with black horns, do not engage,” he said.
The man took a half step back. “You’ve bound demons, sir?”
TJ shook his head and motioned to Kallista, who still had her hood down. Seeing eyes turn to her, she started to raise her cowl, but TJ gently pressed her hand down. “No. Despite what they may look like, the Novenary are our allies from a faraway nation. Timarat’s followers have enslaved some, so expect to see them on both sides of this. If you run into their forces and they try to engage you, fall back until we can crack their oaths. Anyone that attacks them in anything other than self-defense will be answering to me directly. I can assure you; it won’t be pretty.”
The armored soldier stiffened and nodded sharply. “Understood, Count. I’ll make it known.”
TJ added, “Our goal is to secure the castle and assist the Duchess. I’ll leave details to you all on how best to achieve that. If you want to find me, just…” He paused, trying to work out the logistics of how to rally in a city that he didn’t know how to navigate on foot, much less the street names or landmarks. After a moment, he shrugged. “I guess just follow the magical explosions. I’ll probably be nearby.”
The sergeant saluted, then began yelling at the nearby soldiers to move faster. Someone in a fancy hat came into camp at a gallop, brilliant silver ornamentation dangling under the chinstrap as the sergeant waved them down. Seeing that the officers were involved, TJ felt confident they didn’t need him further.
Pivoting, TJ stalked back to the city gate. An archer that had been pacing across the section spotted them and called out a challenge. At his shouts, a few others began closing in at a run.
TJ reared back, intending to use a kinetic blast, but Abby beat him to it. Her voice called out a soft melody, then the man pivoted and began firing his bow. Chaos broke out as they began battling each other atop the damaged wall. Her charmed soldier managed to bring down all four of his allies before he too fell; the fletched arrows left him looking a bit like a porcupine that had wandered through a chicken coop.
No one remained to challenge them as they strode into the city. TJ glanced over only for Abby’s hand to find his. She leaned in and softly kissed his cheek, then she eased back into position at his side.
Jewels directed him to the right, and they began jogging in that direction. It didn’t take them long until they came to a barricade with the New Order banner atop it. Someone had pulled furniture, wagons, crates, and even a few dead horses into a pile to completely block the boulevard. They had then lined it with various scythes, pitchforks, sharpened fence posts, wooden stakes, and any other sharpened farm implement they could find to discourage anyone from rushing it.
Two mages popped their head over the top and quickly dropped back down. TJ’s group dove for cover as one sent a spray of ice their way. A rally cry called out as a mix of unseen mercenaries and mages prepared to defend their chokepoint.
“I’ve got this,” Kallista whispered.
She stepped into the broken remains of a house, and the air shimmered around her form. Moments later, screams came from the other side of the barricade. A man scrambled over the top, falling amid an upturned wagon with a throwing knife wedged in the side of his neck. Pained gurgles and whimpers were all they could hear as the men on the other side slowly died to the succubus’s blades.
Kallista reemerged atop the blockade. Her tail lashed out and grabbed her knife and dragged it across the dying man’s throat. She flipped it into the air and caught it, then jumped clear of the debris.
Returning to the group, she grinned. “Magic is fucking awesome.” She motioned to the pile of debris with a flourish. “If you would clear the path, Count Flappy.”
Snorting, he pulled up a kinetic blast and gave the rubble a firm push. He could have blown it all to smithereens, but it would have been a massive waste of magic. That and his forces might need to repurpose the defenses once they took control. Using a slow thrum of power, he was able to plow through a section.
As they trod down the narrow cobblestone streets, it was clear the city was still in chaos. Dead bodies littered the road, some in the Duchess’s colors, others in the New Order’s garb. No matter how the ebb and flow of battle had gone, the citizenry had been the losers as their bodies outnumbered either side four to one.
All around them, shops were burned or looted, and most of what remained had been destroyed. Ignoring the group, a woman and her children pushed through the rubble of a former bakery. The children’s sunken faces chewed at him as he watched them picking through the burned remnants of a display case. TJ’s heart fell as the little boy rubbed a hand along a broken pastry tray and began licking the sugar crumbs from it.
Turning to offer up some of his rations, he paused as something in the second story window above them caught his eye. The darkness shifted in what he’d taken as an empty window. There was a soft thwack, and a glittering arrow arched through the air. Feeling like his feet were stuck in molasses, he tried to leap to the side.
His attempt was futile, the arrow taking him in the chest as he collided with the paving stones. The shaft glowed with green magic as he felt the curse take hold. Shouts echoed around him as Faith disappeared into the window, her tendrils of shadow slashing and sending blood spraying through the air. The shouting brou
ght more angry voices as chaos broke out.
Abby jumped into action, jerking the shaft free. Whatever enchantment the projectile had carried, let it pierce his chainmail-lined robes and their protective enchantments like they weren’t there. The acid-bearing broadhead fizzed and began to melt as she dropped it to the ground.
He growled in pain, clutching at the wound. His veins felt like they were on fire, and he could feel the damage spreading. He tried to pull on his magic, but it was disrupting his concentration.
Abby hunched over him and began her song of minor healing. He heard a crash of metal on metal as Rachel roared out a battle cry. He tried to lift his head up to help deal with the ambush but couldn’t manage more than flailing uselessly on the ground.
Cursing under his breath, he felt Abby’s spell touch him, then skip off into the ether as it was blocked. TJ clutched at his chest, wheezing as the burning sensation overwhelmed any other thought.
Abby balled up her fists in frustration, then took up a different song as he struggled to breathe. His robes were quickly becoming soaked. Air gurgled from the hole in his chest, making little foam bubbles. Turning his head, he coughed up a mouthful of blood. He fumbled, reaching for his magic again, but it seemed far away.
As Abby hit the second part of her bolstering song, TJ’s senses were jerked into focus. Looking inward, he wrapped his mind around his healing magic and set it to work. It rushed into place, inspecting the curse left behind. He didn’t know what it was, but it felt a lot like the blight curse had. It’d eventually eat him from the inside out. He couldn’t dispel it, but a terrifying option flitted into his mind.
Not able to come up with something better, he focused every bit of willpower he had on what he needed to do. Pinching his eyes tight, TJ started cutting around the boundary of the cursed flesh inside his chest. Blood gushed into his lungs as he tried to seal up the holes. One soul-wrenching coughing fit later, a chunk of blackened flesh fell from his mouth and to the cobblestones. His magic then set about to address the acid coursing through his veins.