He could have used some armor, but he’d do with what he had.
The flame on his torch flickered and danced, casting shifting shadows and illuminating the damp, harsh stone surfaces around him. Without the other two it felt like he was walking and walking without getting anywhere. He trusted Jais, but still had some faint doubts that the man knew exactly how to navigate these tunnels. Yet not long later he could see a different light up ahead. He extinguished his torch and let his eyes adjust to the near darkness for a moment. Then, moving carefully, he navigated his way to the end of the tunnel.
The larger cavern beyond was still mostly dark with only the far end lit, and that light was mostly blocked by the segmented nature of the large cave.
He scanned the area keenly, waiting. Jais had warned that krolls may have discerned his escape route. That was a significant concern for Barami, but even as his eyes adjusted further and he scanned more of the room, he saw no forms. He doubted there would be many places something the size of a kroll could hide out there either.
So he began his careful path out into the cave and toward the lit half.
As much as he could not see any krolls, he could definitely hear them. There were many guttural voices barking at each other as well as the heavy tread of their feet as they moved. Above it all was a single voice calling out orders in that same guttural language. Barami guessed that was the krolloc. When he was finally close enough to peer over a ridge to find out, he saw he was right.
There were twelve krolls, all in place now, widely spaced in two rough rows facing the other side of the cave, the other entrance. Behind them stood as large a beast as Barami had ever seen, near on twenty feet tall. Its back was to Barami and with one of the great fires in the room behind it Barami could see a line of dark… something… tracing down the thing’s back. Jais had mentioned at one point he’d already hurt the thing, perhaps that was the wound and it was weeping… whatever these things had that passed for blood.
Barami shook his head as he ducked behind the ridge. This was impossible. Even with his renewed vigor and outlook from the statue of Thadros, he couldn’t see a way to win this. Jais and Caerwyn would have to cut their way through a dozen krolls. That alone would be an epic feat if they could achieve it. Then they’d have to face the krolloc. Alternately, Barami himself could try to face the thing alone and that… just didn’t seem like it would end well for him. He felt pumped and excited and fearless, but his level-headed nature just couldn’t see a way he could win a one-on-one fight with the beast.
But he had to try.
He crept over the ridge and, moving very carefully now so as not to make any noise which might warn the big lug, he approached the krolloc.
Caerwyn followed Jais, her eyes keen in the darkness. She had never been in such complete darkness before. Even out at night, under a cloudy sky there was always some light.
She kept her gaze alternating between Jais’ back and the uneven floor, which was actually mostly level, but with rocks and dust and debris scattered all about. She assumed that long ago this had been kept clear and level for those who would come to the Festorium, but over the many years since its use, the hall had become strewn with bits of things.
A light grew up ahead.
Jais stopped and turned to her. “We’re nearly there,” he whispered. It was unnecessary, but she nodded anyway. His voice sounded sure, but tempered with a slight hesitation.
She expected him to keep moving forward, but he paused for a long moment. When finally he did something it was speak and his voice was soft, searching for words.
“Caerwyn, I…” He sighed. “I wanted to thank you.”
Thank her? She was certain she’d ruined his nice peaceful life.
“For what?”
He shrugged with a look away, distracted. “For… everything. For keeping me alive, training me, for… being with Alnia and helping her.”
“In truth she helped me more than I helped her.”
“You know what I mean.”
She did.
Jais sighed. “I just… I don’t know what’s going to happen in there and just in case one or both of us don’t make it out. I wanted to say… thank you.” He glanced at her and seemed about to say more, but then fidgeted and looked away again.
“Jais?” she prompted. It was clear he had something he wanted to share, just perhaps didn’t have the words.
“I…” He gave a clipped, sardonic laugh. “If we do live through this… I’ll be honest, I don’t know how I feel about… helping you… with your… child.”
She blinked. She hadn’t thought about that at all since the villagers had turned on them.
“Jais, don’t worry about it.” She grimaced. “Something tells me that if we do live through this we’ll be travelling together for a while. There will be time for… other things… later. If you ever change your mind.”
“Huh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
“What?”
“I can’t go back can I?” It was a question, but she didn’t answer. He’d need to answer that, and he did. “No, I can’t.” His gaze fell to her again. “Would that be well with you… if I joined you and Barami?”
“Barami will probably protest… for his own reasons, but yes. Jais we’re… alike, you and me. You’re welcome to travel with us.”
He nodded, then a smile crept onto his face. “Then once again… thank you.”
She slapped him on his meaty shoulder. “We need to stick together.”
His smile turned to an easy grin. “Yeah.” That look faded quickly though. “But first we need to survive this.”
“Yeah.”
He half turned, looking toward the light. After a long breath, he said, “Shall we go kick some krolloc arse?”
She moved up beside him. “I like the sound of that.”
Barami saw Jais and Caerwyn immerge into the wide opening on the far side of the cave, and the krolls near them bellowed war cries as the two of them charged.
Barami felt an idea come to him.
He too charged. He was close enough behind the krolloc that a last minute war cry of his own would give it little warning and give him the confidence he’d need.
He sliced at its leg as he passed, feeling his blade cut deep, encountering great resistance, the thing’s hide and muscle were like wood, hard but not impenetrable.
The krolloc bellowed.
And that had just the effect Barami had hoped.
Hearing their leader cry out caused the krolls to turn or otherwise be distracted from the attack heading at them. So, for a moment at least, Jais and Caer would have easy targets.
However, this had also made Barami a target of the krolloc, and he knew it. He threw himself to the ground and rolled, feeling the great sweep of wind as the krolloc’s massive hand had punched through where he had been. He came to his feet, shield ready.
The krolloc had been going to stomp on him, but seeing him standing kicked out instead. Barami spun to the side, his shield deflecting the thing’s foot. Even with having mostly avoided the blow a shock rang up his shield arm so strong it went numb for a moment.
He paid little heed to that as he finished his spin and sliced down with his sword into the krolloc’s leg. It bellowed again, this time reaching down for Barami.
He didn’t have time to go anywhere so he did what came naturally, striking the hand that threatened to grab him. He severed two of its fingers, and the krolloc reared back.
A wild grin crossed Barami’s face. He began to think that there was some chance he could do this; could defeat a krolloc on his own.
“Hold!” the beast bellowed, and Barami froze. He didn’t stop moving because he’d wanted to, but because he couldn’t. His body was stuck. He struggled against whatever it was that kept him from moving, but to no avail.
The krolloc’s other hand wrapped around him, squeezing hard. He heard bones snap and felt the stinging shock of pain all over his body as he was lifted from the ground.
/> “You have caused me more pain than any human ever has,” the krolloc spat out at him. “I don’t know whether to turn you into a kroll or kill you now.”
Barami didn’t know what the thing was talking about: turn him into a kroll? Was that possible? It didn’t much matter since he couldn’t speak, but he sure knew which outcome he wanted. Death would be far preferable than anything that benefited this beast.
The krolloc squeezed harder, and Barami felt his body compress in ways it shouldn’t. He would have screamed, have made a noise like none before in his life, but he could not.
“I’ll decide later. I have more interesting prey at the moment.”
The krolloc tossed him aside. He hit the uneven stone floor hard and, with the impact, felt even more pain spiking through him.
Tears came to his eyes, and a dark haze clouded his vision. This he could fight. He would remain conscious. He wasn’t going to black out now. He wasn’t sure what his body would be able to do once the magic hold on him abated, but he would try everything he could. He had to.
Even if that was all he could do with what remained of his life.
29
Jais leapt, and with a single swing of his father’s sword, beheaded the kroll before him. He didn’t expect it to die instantly. And it didn’t. It flailed about at him, but it was less of a concern now, causing more chaos, hitting its allies. Jais slipped around it carefully and moved on to the next beast.
Never before had he felt anything like the union of mind and body as he did now. Whether it was some effect of his father’s sword or the boons of the gods, he didn’t know, but he was thankful for it. He wondered if this was what Caerwyn felt like all the time in battle; ready for anything, aware of every noise, sight, and smell. A noise behind him was no longer a distraction, but a warning. He knew how to react to it and exactly when to do so. Everyone around him seemed to be moving slowly. The reactions of his foes were far too late and clumsy. It was like he’d lost himself in the fight. He and his sword, moving as one, elevated beyond simply a person wading through the enemy.
A cut to a kroll’s leg caused it to stumble into its neighbor and gave him a shot at the other leg, where he severed the foot at the ankle.
When the kroll righted itself, it could no longer stand correctly and it fell.
Jais was there to meet it, cutting one arm nearly all the way through, making it useless, then sinking his sword into the thing’s chest, using its own falling momentum against it, then pushing it aside and off his sword, alive perhaps, but no longer any threat.
On to the next one.
He couldn’t spare a glance for Caerwyn, but he knew where she was, how she fared. It was just a part of this battle-awareness. Just as he knew whether the grunt of a kroll meant pain or an imminent attack, he also knew her calls and cries were merely expressions of her prowess as she too cut through the horde around them. She was doing well enough for now. She didn’t need him, nor did he need her.
Four krolls lay behind him, many more before him, but they moved aside, nearly as one, as something charged in from behind them.
The krolloc.
Yet the krolls didn’t stop attacking, just allowed a new player to join the fray. Even as Jais blocked a blow from the kroll beside him, then whipped his sword around to sever the thing’s hand, he kept his eyes on the krolloc barreling down on him.
It didn’t stop, didn’t pause, just roared and attacked him. One of its hands was spraying dark, thick blood from where several fingers had been removed, and there were cuts on its legs. Barami had wounded it. Yet even with Jais’ battle-awareness, he hadn’t seen what had happened to the southerner. Jais guessed it hadn’t been pleasant.
Jais dodged the first hammer-fisted blow from the krolloc and came up almost underneath a kroll, cutting it high on the side of its leg then moving on before it could react. He was shielded from the krolloc now, behind the kroll, but the massive leader simply threw his minion out of the way. It hadn’t been an idle throw either, but directed at Caerwyn, who ducked under the flying kroll as it passed.
Jais darted in with two quick slashes to add to a deep cut Barami had started on the thing’s leg. A couple more cuts and he’d be able to sever it, but he wouldn’t have that time now. He dropped and rolled to avoid a sideways bash from the krolloc, but felt the air move far too close with the great force of the swing. The krolloc tried to stomp on him before he could get up, so he rolled a little farther then rolled to a crouch and struck at the wounded leg again.
He felt bone this time, but his sword got stuck there for a moment too long. He released it and threw himself to the side just as a strike knocked him in the same direction. He survived with minimal injuries only because he’d already been moving in the direction of the attack. It knocked him several feet, and he rolled when he landed to try to reduce the impact. He felt muscles strain and bruise, skin cut and tear, but no bones seemed to break.
Pain was distant, an annoyance but not a distraction. He rose again as the krolloc moved in and raised its arm to smash him. He ducked and rolled toward it, hoping it hadn’t expected that, and came up where he’d left his sword, still sticking out of the thing’s leg, using his momentum to lever it out of the solid bone. Then he kept moving, ducking between the monster’s legs with an off-handed slash behind him as he ran for better ground.
Another kroll moved to intercept him. Jais removed its arm as it reached for him, then a leg as he passed by. It went down screaming, but he didn’t have time to catch his breath. He could hear the heavy thuds of footfalls as the krolloc closed in behind him.
From the corner of his eye he saw Barami. The man looked like a mess, bloody and broken, but he was still alive, still moving. His gaze caught Jais’ for a moment, and there was a steeled determination there. Jais gave a quick nod before turning to face his own problems.
The krolloc attacked. Jais ducked its first swing, raising his sword to block, but nearly lost the weapon for his efforts. He’d cut the thing’s wrist but he didn’t know how deep. Another hand was slamming down on him. He set his feet, braced himself and raised his sword to meet the hand. The momentum of the attack drove his sword to the hilt through the thing’s hand and drove Jais to his knees. The krolloc bellowed and withdrew its hand. Then it made a grabbing motion with that same hand, and Jais felt… something wrap around him. It was like bands of iron, but invisible… made of air. It’s what the thing must have done to his aunt.
He’d forgotten the thing’s magic. It squeezed at him, but he resisted, flexing his bulk, trying to make sure his bones withstood the pressure. He cried out, more from his own effort to resist than any pain, as he was lifted from the ground.
“You have caused me enough trouble!” the krolloc bellowed and began a chant. In the distance Jais could hear other krolls echoing the guttural words.
Something flew by Jais’ head and sank deep into the krolloc’s eye. The krolloc shrieked and must have been distracted for a moment as the magic around Jais dissipated, and he fell, landing on his feet.
“Davlas!” He heard Caerwyn call out, and the spear returned to her. He spared her a glance and found that there were only a couple krolls remaining, and they were keeping to the side of this fight.
Caerwyn threw again, the spear blazing a path for the krolloc’s other eye, but the krolloc’s hand moved with amazing speed and caught the spear in mid-air.
Even as Caerwyn tried to call the spear back the krolloc snapped it in two like a twig.
“No!” Caerwyn shouted.
Jais, though beaten, bruised, and growing tired, knew he’d stood still long enough. He leapt at the krolloc, hoping to finish the thing off now that it was distracted.
It growled something unintelligible and batted him out of the air like a fly. He was tossed across the room and hit a wall hard before falling to the rocky floor. This time he was fairly certain bones had broken, one rib at least from the pain, most likely several in his legs as well, maybe an arm.
Dark
ness flooded over him, but he gritted his teeth to remain awake and aware. The pain was no longer a distant thing, it was immediate and intense. He couldn’t move for a moment as simply breathing without blacking out took all his effort and concentration.
Caerwyn was stunned.
In a matter of just a few heartbeats she’d lost Davlas, and Jais had been thrown far from the fight.
Only she remained…
…Against the krolloc, wounded as it was, and two mostly unwounded krolls that had enough sense to stay at the fringes of the fight. They watched her warily. She kept one eye on them and the other on the krolloc.
It seemed to be flexing its considerable muscle for a moment, a look of intense concentration passing over it as it let out an extended grunt. She didn’t know what it was doing until she saw several of the wounds on it closing and growing smaller.
It could heal itself, though with some considerable effort it seemed. And not completely, for some of the wounds remained, including the pierced eye. Perhaps it was growing weary. She could only hope so, as she was feeling the strain of this fight creep into her muscles and bones. That, along with the loss of Davlas, which had been like a third arm to her, and she was a little disoriented.
She switched her short sword to her right hand, realize that was the only weapon she had against the krolloc, and sighed. This was going to be a challenge.
“You will die like your friends if you defy me,” the krolloc called out to her. “Or you can join me. Allow me to make you even stronger. Become like me and there is little this world can do to harm you. You drahksani are a dying breed and without you, we krollocs will dominate this world!”
She didn’t need to consider the offer, but she wanted to give herself time to recover. She realized she was giving the krolloc the same time, but didn’t care. “What’s it like?” she asked with a bit of a shout to cover the distance between them.
Soul Seeking Page 23
