by Marcus Sloss
Vin, of course, did not answer. I tossed the dead orc into a corner and laid down in the blood of my foe. Ruby raised an eyebrow then started to undress. The elvath went to turn others around.
“Okay… Very funny. I get I am a horny man. Not trying to have sex. One of you lovely elvath go scout ahead and report back. I am going to get my shaman back,” I ordered and a full team went. They were supposed to stay together so I had no room to complain. “Seriously Ruby, pull your pants back up… Your ass looks great, honey.”
Face first in the dirty soil under the Saquin Mountains I closed my eyes. I found my quiet and calm place. Then I reached into the core of the planet. I found one young shaman there talking to himself. I went to pull him out when he tried to find me.
“Gryff can you understand me?” A voice echoed in my mind. It was too loud and very Virtue sounding.
“Um… Yes, I have questions I need answering and I rather like pestering you with them in person. Are you almost done?”
“Thank the creator! For all that is holy to all the god of all the sides pull me out of here. It has been centuries that I have been trapped.”
I understood warped time and torture so I did not hesitate. With a violent tug, I shot him up out of the core. Vin did the rest to return him to my side. The dirt opened like a puckered butthole releasing a turd. The old shaman shot out of the ground and was young now. I figured correctly that he would return different. At least he was the same Virtue. I checked our contract and the shaman was still bound tightly to me.
“You may not like to hear this. But you were gone for maybe five minutes tops.” I said as he dusted his robes that were tattered. Well, at least he wasn’t lying. The destroyed clothing made it evident he had experienced a long period of time.
“If the planet calls to you, do not accept Gryff. It is boring and dumb. I think Sion gave away a few pieces of himself that he managed to rebuild. I believe he is actually still alive down there and keeps regenerating a fraction of a god. When he gains enough conclusions he realizes he cannot go further and then assumes he is doomed to die. He gives away his soul and the process starts over. I am not certain though and would need the creator to verify. Which will never happen. I did interact with a very confused being for what was hundreds of years. I learned absolutely nothing from that drooling idiot besides that there is plenty of power for us to use for our own portals. This planet will get shut off soon when we continue to send portal spikes from a closed off nondiplomatic world. I need to instruct all your shaman and cyclops on how to use the power of Vin. What questions did you have for me?”
“To start welcome back. I missed you, I was slightly worried. I have grown used to relying on you. That ends my sappiness.” I said and peeled myself off the bloody dirt that had turned to muck. I felt some of the blood drip off my face. “This is a mine. See the tracks? Rationalize it for me.”
He turned to study the tracks and then the walls were old miner tools left marks. “I need to see more to be certain. I saw a dozen ogres on that last floor before I disappeared. The big thing is they don’t nest with orcs. Ever. There are challenges between orcs and ogre young. Too much desire to be the biggest beta in the alpha world of the large ogres. The young ogres not ready for combat end up dead. With that said, you need to realize there is a reason they are here together. Normally a common goal combines them to assemble and work in tandem. In this case, it is a mine. Look at some facts. This world harnessed a god, has a tundra packed with sought after animals, the humans can use magic, the griffins live here and here only. Then add in the elvath have a hidden society. The oceans team with monsters, and now you find yourself in a mine filled with Horde. The logical conclusion is there is another big resource here under these mountains. My guess is silver. If that is the correct assumption and they are still operating while the master portal is down, I have two paths to conclude from. Temi found this from the cyclops who replaced Rakmar. Rakmar would have never have retired if there was a massive silver mine. I also don’t think Temi knew. The other option is someone like me.”
He let the sentence hang knowing I would have to ask. He leaned on his cane and his young face smirked at me. I flicked his ear and he howled in pain. When he stared at me instead of gloating I shrugged. I was not giving in to his whims of making me play a guessing game.
“Fine… Like me in the sense, a shaman or team of shamans know that you don’t die when you open a personal portal for personal reasons. It could be a cyclops but doubtful. My guess is a shaman retired or was sent here. They investigated the mines and found silver. They told no one important and gambled it all by going to the market to sell silver for souls to buy more slaves to build out the mining operation. A large operation will bring in more Horde and then he or they can snowball the operation. Hence you have a Horde nest down here operating. Probably in the tens of thousands. If these tracks go deep then maybe even a million Horde. I doubt that many because it is a secret if my theory is right. So minimal other cyclops or shamans. Mostly dumb Horde for work with promise of soul stones for reward. Only one way to find out though…”
I really wanted to smack him on the back of the head. Instead, I finished his sentence.
“We continue to go down.”
CHAPTER 12
I went up to the staging cavern instead of down to more combat. It was probably a good time to reorganize. There were arrows being removed, hearts torn out, fallen weapons sorted, and bodies ready to be frozen were piled. Everyone up here was hard at work during the pause. I found Yvette talking around a group of archers.
“Ladies, you all look lovely in your black armor,” I said to them. Either my blood soaked body was not appealing or the ladies were immune to my charm. One even ignored my comment and left to talk elsewhere. “How are you on arrows?”
“We keep backups on our rels,” Lady Jai said.
“I was wanting to try a blitz strategy. That would mean more archers, more arrows, and more mages. You can partially keep up, the human mages less so, and the dvaren will certainly fall behind.” I said and saw a few eyebrows raise. “Blitz means I run really fast while I slay, distract, and knock over our foes. You arrow everything besides me. Virtue thinks there is a shaman here deeper down. The plan is to get to them before they can portal all their minerals off the planet.”
“I will fetch the rels. I suggest sticking your mages on them in your reckless charge. That will help us range dealers continue to keep pace while being lethal.” Lady Jai said and the group left with her minus Yvette.
Ruby approached with Victoria, Priscilla, Maise, Cora, and Fae. “I need to head back my lord. I used a lot of energy during that fight.” Fae said. She was walking fine but the exhaustion was evident on her face. “Maise here is talented and full of aura. She will take my spot while I head up and rest.”
“Good work today Fae, thank you,” I said in dismissal. She thought about kissing me, then gave a goodbye wave instead. Yeah, I stank and was gross. “Alright, ladies you get to ride rels. I want you on them after you make at least teams of five per casting type. Hurry up. Go add to your mage teams.”
I saw General Halsad and Colonel Prixal off to the side burying the dead. When I heard a prayer, I stopped out of respect. When the soft slow song ended they walked to me.
“Plan?” Halsad said.
“From this one…” Prixal chuckled. “It will be lots of smashing and us cleaning up the mess in his wake. If we bury fewer troops then I am more than okay being backup.”
I opened my mouth to give a smartass retort. I clamped it shut and grinned.
“You are in the rear, try to keep up.”
Halsad smirked that this. He loved a challenge. All the dvaren enjoyed competitions. It was in their nature. They were not offended to be relegated to the rear if there was a logical reason. I left them to do their planning. They would realize when the rels showed up and mages mounted we were leaving soon.
The transition to that point was less than five minutes. I tol
d Virtue to stay in the middle of the dvaren for now. If I needed him he would be called forward. I went over to the pile of Horde weapons and shifted it with my foot. There were no great axes. That was what I wanted, at least I thought I did. The shield was lethal too, I needed to remember my goal was to smash and push through. A shield would aid in that. I did see an orc one handed axe, it was more for wood chopping. I belted it to hurl at something later.
The troops were ready. I clasped my faceplate down and the click was a trigger. The army locked their faceplates down and the snaps were loud. The dvaren that General Halsad arrived with were still in regular armor. I swirled a pedestal under my feet until I could see the drummers in the back. The torches that hung from the walls illuminated the rising blood soaked battle master that I was. When the drummers caught sight of me I pretend to play the drum hard and slow.
The beat was steady and deafening. The dvaren stomped with its thump and the walls shook with power. The message was clear to the Horde below. The dvaren were here and death was coming. I sectioned the pillar I stood on into chunks until leaped off of it.
I was smirking under my helmet. My purple aura surged through my body from my soul. The troops parted as I sped through the line for the tunnel entrance. I slowed my natural output to adjust for the declining slope. I was beyond the landing plateau quickly and down the portion that held a minecart track. As I went down the track, I felt my feet grip the slats and increased my speed.
My left arm kept my shield over most of my body. I tilted my head to the right to see in front of me. The dark was swallowing the light from behind me. The tunnel opened into a mining platform. A fire pit illuminated the space. I raced past the tunnel exit and into the expansive opening. My speed saved me from the initial ambush. Five ogres hurled rocks with deadly speed at me from the left.
I pivoted as I dug my right foot in and sprang on my larger opponents. The distance was closed before they even readied a second rock from the ground. I willed fire out across all five. The drain was severe as I realized I had used lava. I really needed to practice more with my magic. I diverted my charge from the ogres. They were in the middle of roaring death throes.
Off to the left about five hundred yards from the central firepit, I saw two ogres guarding a tunnel. They squirmed as they saw their fellows melting. The best part of them being so far away was there were thousands of orcs between us. I spooled a bubble around me as I saw arrows raining my direction. Bonus, trolls were in the mix. Even more blood to spill.
I felt my aura regenerate from the expenditures as I slowed my pace momentarily. I crashed into an orc with such force he was propelled into his allies. The result was more dead orcs. An idea crossed my mind and I summoned my blue aura to my hands. I swept right to left and coated the enemy hundreds if not thousands of feet deep with thick ice at the chest level. The top halves became chunks of ice. The freeze meant an instant death besides the luckiest at the back. The added weight to their torsos was too much for their legs and they tumbled to the ground with ice shattering impacts. I bypassed my frozen, dazed, and mostly dead foes.
A set of trolls from the right fired a mixed volley arrows and javelins. I escaped where they had aimed and heard them fall behind me. I was on the move, trying to not be stationary for long. They readied another volley and it was their last moments in this cruel world for them. The elvath had arrived at my back. Their arrows were merciless and precise. I closed the gap as the arrows arced around and over my run. A path of the dead leading to the guarding ogres formed as the arrows never slowed. Those recovering orcs from their first freeze were getting their bearing. My water mages burst force strong spells to aid me in my push for the ogres. Orcs and trolls were entombed head to toe frozen in death. Thankfully the mages had the presence of mind to know where I was going and kept my path ice free.
The ogres knew I was coming and both panicked. Whatever bound them to their master was in doubt. The crazy human champion was nearing quickly and they knew their end was near. I let them surrender and when they kneeled for mercy I removed the head of the one slower to accept. The other rose from his kneel and dropped his weapon as he walked toward my troops.
There were more tracks leading deeper into Vin. I sped into the descending tunnel and was greeted by massed goblins. I think they were stuffed in here to attempt to slow the enemy. They only carried mining tools like picks and shovels. The drums echoed down here and I saw the goblins realize they were about to die in fright. Funny how they let you slaughter them when they were your own slaves. When they belonged to others they would try to flee.
I barreled into the thick gathering of the small monsters. My shield arm projected bodies down the tunnel and I hunched forward. My purple aura was burning my blood with use and I loved the power. I shoved my feet against the rails harder as I pumped my legs faster. I tore through the clumped goblins. The bodies were strewn to the sides and down the tunnel. A few metal weapons clanked against my armor and I passed by most of the goblins still alive. I felt a searing heat on my back and glanced over my shoulder.
Ruby was burning the clogged tunnel with vole fire, besides her Cora was cooling the lava instantly. The remains of the melted tools and goblins were formed into a new layer of ground. I focused back forward a moment too late.
I exited the tunnel and shot off a cliff. Seven hells. I cast a weak fireball because darkness consumed me. The force of my propelled launch was allowing me to take a shortcut. The path here wound around to the right and down to an immense city of sorts. As I flew in my projected path for an orc tent I saw campfires illuminate the scene. This was where all the offshoot tunnels led to. I saw hundreds of tunnels going both down and up. The key reason I rationalized the city was located here was a massive roaring waterfall. It spewed water down into a fast flowing river that cut across the settlement providing a vital resource in abundance.
Whoever was running this operation was not expecting me to get here this quickly. They were still organizing troops. When I launched a few fireballs from my never ending fall things shifted. I crashed into a tent not knowing if my spells had much effect. I rolled and cursed my way out of the canvas. Why were there stupid tents in a cavern?
When the first large bat swooped down on me I understood immediately. I also should have figured the goop I was covered in that reeked of ammonia was not from the Horde. I felt small claws hook into my armor and helpfully lift me to my feet. Nope, I was not having that. I swiped my sword across the legs gripping me. They stayed locked to my armor as I removed them from the bat who shrieked in anger. I hurled fireballs and flame in a three hundred and sixty degree arc. Time to light some fires and spread the light. The brightness spooked the bats who fled the area.
The resulting destruction was an inferno of death. A few surviving Horde around me tried to run to escape the fire consuming them. I laughed as they collapsed in torment. A portal spun into creation at the heart of the city. My mission was clear. I raced past the burning tents and dead Horde. There were walled formations forming a box around a caster. Carts of silver were being dragged without tracks by ogres. The friction of the metal wheels against the rough dirt caused them to dig in. I figured out what was happening quickly.
The enemy leader was fleeing with as much as he could. His troops were there to slow our advance. I had other plans. As I raced for the formation of orcs they tensed and prepared their shield wall. I slowed my purple consumption and halted my advance a few hundred feet away. I dug into my inner core and spooled out my brown aura. The transition was smooth as it flowed from me begging to be used.
The ramp I created parted the formation and suddenly a small section of the orcs were elevated. I resumed my charge up my generated incline. The orcs in my way leaped down to their comrades except for one. I barreled into him and sent that dumb idiot flying across the cavern. As I quickly passed the ranks I tossed my sword to my left hand and with my right retrieved the one handed axe from earlier. I leaped over into the opening where ogres were dr
agging carts desperately. The silver filled boxes were overweight and the wheels were hampering their dragging motion.
I saw my target midflight to the ground. I hurled the axe as the shaman tried to flee. He was too slow. The shaman’s chest erupted as my powerfully thrown axe jettisoned out his back. The portal instantly closed. The ogre that was partially through was sliced in half. The front portion tumbled into the cart he had been dragging. Blood splashed from his corpse as it was suddenly freed.
I gave the loudest war cry I could at my enemy. I expected the Horde to charge in the middle of their formation. Instead, they tensed. My patience was rewarded as I saw bats tumble from the sky with arrows protruding from them. The elvath were nearing. I did the rational thing knowing my blood lust was somewhat sated. I gave out my enslavement contract.
The yellow erupted from me with a burst that shot out in thousands of directions. There were a hell of a lot of Horde in these caverns. I felt them accepting and heard the weapons clanging against the hard rock surface. There were still a few hold outs though. The order I sent to those who were now my slaves was simple. Go to the surface. We had more cleansing to do.
The bats did not accept my contract. They continued to try to flee the onslaught of the elvath arrows. There was no saving them though. They were too big to fit in the tunnels. I was curious as to why the shaman had even brought them here. My forces flooded the city as the Horde walked the opposite way in defeat. I watched as the last of the creatures tumbled from the air to fall to their deaths.
