In the courtyard they found a peculiar tableau awaiting them. Roake was kneeling in the middle of the square with Zannah stood over him, her sword resting against the back of his neck. Off to one side the plague priest was sat on a barrel, watching with mild interest as he worked his way through a bottle of wine.
As they approached, Zannah nudged the skeletal form of Roake with her boot, waking him from a doze. Tammy noticed he was now so emaciated that all of the tendons in his face and neck stood out like steel wire. His skin was turning yellow in places and was so tight across his skull she wasn’t sure he could speak without it tearing. His eyes seemed to have receded even further back in his skull and were surrounded by deep black pits. Air wheezed in and rattled out of his body and the pause after every breath made her think that the next could be his last.
“They’ve returned,” said Zannah, kicking him. “Now, tell us what you know so I can cut off your head.”
Roake ignored the boot digging into his back, perhaps because he didn’t care or had suffered worse in the past. Tammy felt a growing sense of loathing as he worked his jaw several times before it clacked open like a rusty trap. Despite the smell they had to move closer to hear the dry rasp of his voice.
“They’re defeated, but not all dead,” whispered Roake.
“Tell us something we do not already know,” said Zannah. She was seething with rage and seconds away from killing what little remained of the man kneeling before her.
Roake tried to speak again but this time almost no sound emerged, just a faint wheeze.
“Here,” said Kai, approaching and shoving the bottle towards Roake. Moving like an old man Roake feebly gripped it with both hands and tipped the neck towards his open mouth. Red wine gushed down his face and chin, but some splashed into his mouth, making him choke and gasp. A few seconds later Tammy watched as some of it trickled out of the wound in his side, soaking into the ground.
“I can still feel them out there,” said Roake, gesturing beyond the city with one hand. In doing so he dropped the bottle and it smashed on the ground, spraying the remaining wine across the stones. It was an unpleasant reminder of the blood that had been spilled, and that not very far away Alyssa had died. This must have occurred to Zannah as she pressed the blade harder against Roake’s neck, nearly toppling him over in the process.
“Where?” she asked.
“Where do you think?” asked Kai, frowning down at the spilled wine. “They went back to mummy dearest.”
“Mother?” said Zannah.
“The Forsaken are parasites. They were spawned by something. It’s what has been feeding on the city.” Kai shared a knowing look with Balfruss, who shifted uncomfortably as the priest stared at him.
“The brood mother,” whispered Roake, drawing all eyes back to him.
“Do you know where to find it?” asked Tammy.
“In the maze,” said Roake.
“We know where that is. So we don’t need you any more,” said Zannah, raising her sword.
“I can guide you through the maze. You’ll never find it without me,” whispered Roake.
Tammy watched as Zannah’s arm shook, her anger battling with common sense. It would take them weeks to search the maze without Roake, and by then some of the Forsaken could have slipped away.
“Then we leave immediately,” said Zannah. She lifted Roake to his feet with one hand. “Are you coming?” she said, including everyone in her glare.
“Of course,” said Tammy, and Balfruss nodded in agreement. Now that he had full control of his magic again he would be a powerful ally against the remaining Forsaken and the brood mother.
“We need to make sure that every single parasite is destroyed,” said Kai. “I might be able to help with that.” He didn’t say how but no one chose to argue. Tammy thought she should at least mention that he wasn’t carrying any weapons, but for some reason she didn’t.
“Do we even know what the brood mother looks like? Or how big it is?” she asked instead.
They followed Zannah out the gate, who was shoving Roake ahead of her down the road. “If you’ve been out on the lake then you’ve seen it,” said Roake. “It’s been eating fishermen for months.”
Even though she knew the way, Tammy followed Zannah and Roake east, retracing her path towards the abandoned church of the Maker. Behind her came Kai and Balfruss, who was keeping one wary eye on the city around him and the other on the priest.
When they reached the church they followed Roake to the rooms at the back. The door that led to the underground tunnels had been torn off its hinges, no doubt from the surging press of Forsaken bodies. Beyond the door they found the empty basement and the entrance to the maze, a yawning black pit.
“Let me,” said Balfruss, making a peculiar circling gesture with his hand. A small pale blue light, the size and shape of an egg, appeared in his palm. It gave off a dull glow but peeled back the shadows, almost in layers, so although it wasn’t bright it helped them see quite clearly in the gloom. Balfruss passed the mage-light to Tammy, and she was surprised that it didn’t give off any heat and weighed almost nothing. If she closed her eyes she wouldn’t have known it was even there, resting against her palm. When she raised her hand it followed a second behind, as though it was tethered to her.
Zannah didn’t need any such light as she had perfect night vision and when the Sorcerer offered one to Roake he declined.
“I can barely see, besides, I can feel them,” said Roake, offering them a grisly smile that showed off his few remaining teeth clinging to black gums.
When he offered one to Kai the priest just shook his head, and whispered something which made Balfruss frown.
Zannah led the way and the others held their light as low as possible so as not to disrupt her night vision. A step behind her came Roake, who shuffled along with increasing difficulty, but Zannah did not slow her pace, not even for a second, and he never once complained. Balfruss came next, then the priest, and Tammy brought up the rear.
The mage-light never flickered, for which Tammy was grateful as without it they would have been in complete darkness after the first corner. Roake gave directions with complete certainty, never once hesitating at a junction. Tammy tried to keep track of the route they’d taken, looking for something to distinguish one tunnel from another. There was nothing to see. No markings on the walls, no moss or even a crack in any of them. Each was as mottled and indistinct as the next.
The suspicious part of her mind wondered if Roake was simply directing them into a trap but she discounted the idea. Whatever he had become, and whatever remained, Roake seemed determined to keep his promise to Alyssa. Despite being so close to death, in a way Tammy had never seen before, he forced himself on, one step at a time. Something made him keep going beyond any mortal endurance and she didn’t believe it was hatred.
At the next junction Roake paused and pointed off to the left. “There’s someone there,” he said. “A few Forsaken. Perhaps it’s an ambush, but the others are this way,” he said, pointing to the right.
“Allow me,” said Balfruss, stepping up to the mouth of the tunnel. “I’d suggest you all avert your eyes.”
Tammy turned around, keeping her eyes on the tunnel they’d just come from. Despite that, she saw a flicker of orange light at her eye corners and felt a wall of heat against her back. A quick glance over her shoulder showed a spear of fire roaring down the tunnel from Balfruss’s outstretched hand. A few seconds later she heard the scrambling of feet and then screams as the Forsaken ambushers were roasted alive. The stench of burned flesh was hideous, unlike any meat she’d ever smelled before. With a wave of his hand Balfruss summoned a small breeze, redirecting the smoke and odour away from them.
“This way,” said Roake, turning towards the tunnel on the right. As Kai reached the junction he paused, sniffed the air and peered into the darkness. All Tammy could see beyond the circle of light in her hand was a solid wall of black. Kai clearly had some magic of his own, beca
use he stared into the dark and then grunted, “They’re gone. We have to make sure they’re all dead. If even one escapes, this could happen all over again.”
“How do you know?” Tammy managed to ask, even though something in her mind was telling her not to question the plague priest. Her instincts told her there was a lot more to him than the obvious.
“Better you don’t know,” he said and even though a voice inside was screaming at her to ask him another question, the larger part of her seemed satisfied with his answer.
They pressed on into the heart of the labyrinth, moving through the seemingly endless darkness. Despite her best attempts Tammy lost track of their route and then she lost track of time. Occasionally Roake would pause and point, before turning to look in another direction. Balfruss would investigate, usually with fire that illuminated the tunnel and the lurking creatures within. The magical fire he produced was so hot that after only a few seconds the Forsaken were reduced to piles of ash and a few charred bones.
When they reached another junction Roake stopped again and Balfruss went to investigate. As she peered over their shoulders to see what was ahead, Tammy heard a scuffing sound behind her. Spinning on her heel she brought her sword down in a tight arc. The blade sliced open the Forsaken’s torso and it fell back, screaming in pain. Two more came for her, stepping on their thrashing friend, but in such a tight space they couldn’t take advantage of their numbers. Tammy stepped forward to meet them, chopping the arm off one and stabbing another in the throat. She made short work of them after that, stabbing each until they stopped moving. To make sure they were dead she beheaded them, which seemed to satisfy Kai.
“You need to see this,” said Balfruss.
They followed him a short distance down the tunnel to an opening that led to a large cavern. Green phosphorescent moss clung to the walls and ceiling, providing enough light for them to see that the ground was covered with lumpy mounds of writhing creatures. She couldn’t quite see what they were, but each was about the size of two clenched fists and dark blue in colour. Each had no discernible limbs or features. It was just a wiggling lump of fleshy tissue, like a giant maggot.
A constant rustling sound ebbed and flowed like the tide as the creatures brushed up against each other. The air in the cavern was damp and there was a strong metallic smell like fresh blood. Even though the ceiling of the cave was almost three times Tammy’s height, the creatures were piled so high they came up to her shoulder.
“What are they?” asked Tammy in a whisper.
“I have no idea,” said Balfruss. None of them were keen to step into the cave to find out.
“It’s the birthing pit,” said Roake. “Each of these will become a parasite.”
Tammy stared in horror at the wriggling creatures. She tried to estimate how many were writhing around there and guessed they numbered in the thousands. At the far side of the cave there was an opening in the wall. A rushing sound announced the arrival of several new creatures that slid out of the twitching orifice before plopping down on top of the others.
The brood mother was still spawning.
“Will fire destroy them?” asked Balfruss.
“Yes,” said Kai. “But the moment you kill them, the brood mother will know we’re here.”
“She already knows,” whispered Roake.
As Tammy and the others moved away from the cave she felt a change in the air. The temperature dropped and a shiver ran down her spine then cherry-red fire blossomed between Balfruss’s outstretched hands. A second later the flames flew into the cave and the screaming began. It was shrill and high pitched like a child’s, but no human had ever made such a keening sound. As dozens and then hundreds of voices merged together into one horrendous cacophony, pain erupted in her head.
Tammy fell to the ground, her skull pounding until the screaming finally stopped. Eventually she became aware of the sound of her own breathing and the pounding of her heart. Looking around she saw Kai was sat on his haunches not far away, waiting for everyone to wake up. Zannah was sat on the ground with her head in her hands, but was otherwise unhurt.
As Tammy pushed herself upright she saw that Roake was still on his back and, further along the tunnel, Balfruss was slumped against the wall. She was relieved to see that he was still breathing and appeared to be just a little dazed. Peering into what had once been the birthing pit she saw it had been scoured clean. Every creature had been turned to ash and even the moss on the walls had been burned away, leaving behind only a black oily residue.
“Are you all right?” she asked, offering him a hand.
“I will be,” he said as she pulled him upright. He leaned against the wall for a minute but then was able to stand unaided.
Roake had recovered consciousness and Zannah had one hand under his arm. He barely seemed aware of his surroundings and one of his eyes had fallen out, leaving an empty socket. Whatever spark of life kept him moving was almost extinguished.
“Is it much further?” asked Tammy.
Roake shook his head slightly and gestured down a tunnel with his free hand. At every subsequent junction he chose the tunnel to the right and they began to spiral inwards towards the centre. The air was getting noticeably cooler and damper until eventually they arrived at the heart of the labyrinth.
It was a vast chamber about two hundred metres in length with a lake covering half of the ground and a forest of stalagmites the rest. Far above their heads rocky fingers pointed down towards the floor, sometimes joining up with their twins to create stone ribs, as if they were inside the skeleton of a giant beast. Glowing moss and lichen provided just enough light to see the outlines of objects, but they had no idea what was hiding in the shadows.
As Tammy stepped into the cave she heard a rush of movement. Spinning around she saw Fenne launch himself from a hidden ledge above their heads. Even as Tammy started to shout a warning, his sword was coming down towards Zannah’s exposed back.
CHAPTER 46
As Tammy shouted Balfruss sensed something moving towards him. Dropping to the ground he rolled away before coming up with his axe in one hand, a ball of energy in the other.
Roake shoved Zannah aside, taking the full brunt of Fenne’s attack. The sword entered his body at the shoulder and emerged at his hip, cutting him into two pieces. The dry halves slid to the floor and the tiny spark of life that had kept him moving was finally snuffed out. A second later Zannah’s sword was whistling towards Fenne’s head and the two of them began to battle each other.
“I have him,” said Zannah. “Take care of the brood mother.”
Balfruss left the two Morrin behind and together with Tammy and Kai he followed the narrow path towards the lake. It was a well-worn route, but it wound back and forth between the stalagmites, which were so dense that in places they were all but impassable. There were plenty of shadowy alcoves and Balfruss held his axe ready in case any lurking Forsaken should try to catch him unawares.
When they emerged on the shore of the lake he saw half a dozen Forsaken kneeling away from them towards the water. At the sound of their footsteps the creatures came to their feet and drew their weapons, faces twisting into snarling masks of rage. This was an invasion of their inner sanctum and they had nowhere to retreat. Not wasting any time on threats or curses, the creatures attacked, two coming for each of them. Even as they did so, Balfruss noticed a huge shadow lurking under the water that seemed to be growing in size. They needed to deal with the last Forsaken quickly before the brood mother emerged.
He feinted towards one with his axe and directed a tight spear of solid willpower towards the other with his free hand. It punched a fist-sized hole straight through the Forsaken’s chest, making it stumble and fall on its face. Ignoring it, Balfruss deflected a couple of wild swings from the other, sparks flying as their weapons met. He ducked one blow and lashed out with a short blast of will, catching the Forsaken on the hip and spinning it about. As the Forsaken fell to its knees Balfruss brought down the flat of hi
s axe on the middle of its back, snapping its spine. Flipping the weapon in his hand he quickly brought it down on the nape of its neck, severing its head from the body. The other was barely alive but Balfruss wasn’t prepared to take any risks and beheaded that one too.
Before he had time to react something crashed into him, sending him flying through the air. Instinctively, he wove a magic shield to cushion his impact and a few seconds later he collided with several stalagmites, shattered them into stone fragments. If not for his magic the collision would have killed him.
Tammy and Kai had finished dealing with the remaining Forsaken but Balfruss’s attention now was entirely to the thing emerging from the lake. The thick black tentacle that had struck him was just the first of many attached to the monstrous beast that was slowly dragging itself out of the water.
The brood mother was an enormous creature and the bulk of its body was still under water. A horrific blend of whale, giant squid and shark, its skin was midnight black, mottled with white in places, and a dozen pointed fins covered its back. A huge gaping maw was lined with a row of razor-sharp teeth the size of swords, and one yellow malevolent eye on either side of its wedge-shaped head glared at Balfruss with uncanny intelligence. The dozen tentacles at its front allowed the creature to move on land and he could see more on the rear portion of its body. He suspected in the water it was incredibly fast and graceful, but on land it seemed clumsy.
Balfruss felt a huge presence pushing against the edges of his mind as the brood mother turned its attention towards him. He tried weaving a protective shield around his thoughts, but felt as if he were trying to stop a storm with a handful of cobwebs. He fell to his hands and knees, shaking his head like a dog as it tried to bend him to its will.
Not far away he saw Tammy fighting to keep the tentacles at bay, whipping Maligne left and right while steadily retreating. Chunks of black flesh and purple blood were raining down all around her, but the brood mother seemed unconcerned by such minor wounds. Balfruss gritted his teeth and focused all his effort on driving the creature out of his mind. He was no one’s puppet and would not be controlled by anything or anyone.
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