Dorius looked the construct over. “Brilliant actually. Well done.”
They set out down the road, walking at a brisk pace along its rutted surface. Didn’t look like the road repair crews made it out this far. He’d have to mention it to someone when they returned to the city. If they didn’t fix the ruts, spring rains might wash the road out completely.
Nearly a mile from the inn, Dorius turned off the road and on to a narrow game trail. Thick branches hung over the path, slapping them in the face and reducing visibility to almost nothing.
“I could slice off some of these branches and you wouldn’t have to worry about bumping your head with every step,” Damien said.
“No!” Dorius glared around at everything and nothing in particular. “As long as the trail appears natural, no one will give it a second look. We can’t do anything that might jeopardize the entrance’s location, not now that I’m so close to the final breakthrough. Once I finish my paper on the Builders and their city, I’ll be the most famous scholar in the kingdom. Nothing can go wrong at this crucial juncture.”
“Okay, but you can relax. I’d sense it if anyone was nearby, we’re totally alone.”
“Oh, I have total faith in you.” Dorius peered around again. “Don’t think I’ll forget you when I write my paper. You’ll get full credit for helping me complete the final leg of my investigation. For years I’ve been searching for one big break and at last I’ve found it.”
The professor droned on about the design of the sealed door, but Damien tuned him out. Hopefully, once they got underground, he’d relax a little. If he kept on like this, Damien was going to seriously regret agreeing to join the expedition.
He stretched out with his magical senses but found nothing beyond a pair of squirrels. Other than maybe hunters, no one would want to be out in the middle of the woods anyway.
After twenty minutes of thrashing through the forest they reached Dorius’s camp, assuming an empty clearing with a ring of stones for a fire pit qualified as a camp. At the far edge of the clearing a cave waited in the shade of the roots from a fallen tree.
“Is that it?” Damien asked.
“Yes, now hurry. The sooner we’re out of sight the better.”
Dorius practically ran over to the cave, ignoring the dirt falling from the roots as he brushed past them. Damien didn’t bother pointing out that there was no one to see them in the first place and strode over to the opening. Now that they were out of sight, he transformed the cart into a golden disk that drifted along beside him.
Inside the cave a large rock jutted from the ground with a rope tied to it. The rope slithered down a hole and disappeared into the darkness. The professor grabbed on and slid out of sight.
Damien hopped in after him, floating along beside the professor as he climbed. It took most of five minutes to reach the cavern floor. When his feet hit, Damien conjured a pair of glow spheres and sent them up into the air.
Twenty yards beyond their arrival point, a city much like the one under Port Valcane spread out before them. One-, two- and sometimes three-story buildings sat in neat rows along proper streets. It was like someone took a city from above ground and dragged it down here.
“I don’t suppose you want me to fly us to the door.”
“I’d like nothing better. Unfortunately, I doubt I could find my way from above. I need to see the landmarks from ground level. Besides that, we need to descend another level to reach it.”
“It goes deeper?”
“Much.” The professor brightened at the prospect of giving a lecture. “The Builders appear to have delved deep into the earth. Either that or they dug up from below. Given the lack of weather, it’s difficult to determine which levels of the city were built first. My instincts tell me they had to come down into the earth, but wouldn’t it be fascinating to find a race that evolved in the depths of the earth? Can you imagine how different their worldview would be?”
All Damien could imagine was how powerful they had to be to transmute goblins into whatever sort of creatures his sister fought. It was a good thing for everyone they were long gone.
“Have you studied the ruins under Port Valcane?” Damien asked.
“Briefly. After your sister mentioned them I spent a month wandering around, but the cultists had so badly damaged the natural state of the ruins it was a pointless endeavor. That’s why I’m desperate to keep anyone from finding this place before I’m finished. Besides, as far as I could tell, the Valcane ruins only had a single level. That argues that this is the primary site.”
“If you say so. Where are we headed?”
“The level two access point is about an hour and a half from here. I thought we’d take a little detour and I’d show you where your sister fought the enhanced goblins. Rest assured I’ve learned from my mistake and won’t be releasing any more of those ugly things. I also keep a cache of supplies in one of the buildings, so you won’t have to tow those satchels the whole way.”
Damien nodded, hoping the professor’s confidence proved well founded.
The two of them set out through the city, pausing twice as the professor studied the surrounding buildings. Damien didn’t see much to distinguish one from the other. Some of the embellishments carved into the doors and window frames gave him the creeps. Many of them featured a rune that resembled a staring eye. It felt like he was being watched everywhere he went. That might be why the professor had developed such a strong sense of paranoia.
They passed a couple buildings with some cracks and chipping on their facing, but for the most part the place appeared in perfect condition. What had the people who lived here been like? It must have been strange living without the sun to help you know the time.
“Have you been in the buildings?”
The professor glanced back at him. “Most of them. The layout isn’t all that different from anything you’d find in a human home. There are bedrooms, kitchens, though I saw no place for a fire so I can’t guess how they cooked. It all seemed remarkably mundane given the setting.”
Dorius looked left, then right, scratched his head, and turned left. They hadn’t gone over a block when he shook his head and muttered to himself.
“Everything okay?” Damien asked.
“Oh, yes. I just seem to have gotten turned around. Happens all the time. I’ll get back on track in a few hours, or days. Time doesn’t mean much underground.”
Damien choked off the first comment that popped into his head. Lost in the dark with Professor Dorius. Suddenly fixing up the capital didn’t seem so bad.
Chapter Nine
Professor Dorius was thinking again. Damien recognized the drawn-together eyebrows and furrowed forehead. He’d been doing that a lot since they got off course. While he stood at an intersection muttering into the dark as though expecting it to provide directions, Damien put a subtle mark in the foundation of the nearest building. He’d lost confidence in the professor’s sense of direction hours ago and was keeping track of their route himself. It wasn’t doing much good, but Damien felt better for the effort.
It’s like a maze down here. Even for someone familiar with the city, getting lost seems easy enough.
It was good to hear Lizzy’s voice in his head again. She’d been awfully quiet since they entered the tunnels.
“Are you okay?” He spoke barely above a whisper.
Yes. There’s something about this place that seems familiar, but I can’t put my finger on why. Aside from the time we spent under Port Valcane, I can’t remember ever visiting another underground city.
Being a spirit bound to a sword, Damien had given little thought to how her memory worked. “Do you forget things? I mean, you’ve been around in one form or another forever. You can’t remember everything, can you?”
I clearly remember events that had a powerful impact on me no matter how long ago they happened. Much of the day-to-day things fade to a blur.
“Damien.” Professor Dorius cut into his conversation. “I’ve f
ound the way. We’re close to the pit where we trapped the goblins. We can make camp there and move on to the next level tomorrow.”
Damien fell in beside Dorius.
I will try to remember what makes me so uncomfortable. If I remember anything important, I’ll let you know.
Damien sent her reassuring thoughts. Lizzy would never let him down. Other than Jen, no one in the world filled him with more confidence.
Fifteen minutes later they stopped beside a round, boulder-filled hole. Patches of old, dried blood stained the sides and rim. Looked like a brutal end to the fight.
Damien sent a light down as deep into the pit as possible. A few desiccated limbs jutted out from between the stones. Didn’t look like scavengers had gotten after them. There had to be rats or something down here, but now that he thought about it, Damien had noticed nothing moving in the dark. He stretched out with his magical senses like he did in the forest. As far as he could sense in every direction he found nothing living, not even a bug. How was that possible?
Dorius stared at the pit with a lip curled in disdain. Probably brought back a lot of bad memories.
“Have you noticed there are no vermin down here?”
The professor blinked and gave a little shudder. “What? Oh, right. That’s a new thing. I distinctly remember rats the size of raccoons when I first entered the ruins. The goblins probably ate them all.”
“The goblins have been dead for months. New rats should have arrived long ago. I’m afraid there’s something down here besides us.”
Dorius waved a hand. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve been practically living down here for half a year and I haven’t seen anything. Surely if a predator big enough to be a threat lived in the city, I would have encountered it by now.”
“You’re probably right.” In his gut, Damien was certain something lived in the darkness. Dorius might be too blind to see it, but he intended to remain on full alert.
Dinner consisted of a quick stew heated over a soul force flame. Not the finest meal he’d ever eaten but still nourishing. While the professor unrolled his sleeping mat, Damien laid a defensive ward around the campsite. Anything stupid enough to attack in the night would end up a crispy corpse.
When he finished his task, Dorius was curled up, eyes closed, and breathing deeply. He looked every bit as comfortable as if he were in his own bedroom. And given the amount of time he spent down here, maybe he considered the whole city his home.
Damien shrugged and conjured a bed for himself. He lay down beside Lizzy and stared into the dark for a long time before sleep claimed him.
Chapter Ten
Sig left the Ice Queen’s chamber under his own power, but not alone. A pair of the masked ogres stomped along beside as he made his way out of the dragon’s audience chamber. Neither ogre spoke as they turned down the tunnel outside, instead they guided him by blocking the direction they didn’t want him to go. Either the stupid monsters didn’t speak the human tongue, or they refused to. Sig suspected the latter.
At least they hadn’t made any aggressive moves. They carried swords two hands wide, as long as Sig was tall, and made of solid ice. He could take a pair of ogres, especially since he could see them coming. What worried him were the hundreds or thousands more living in this frozen warren. At least with his shield back up there was no danger of freezing to death.
His stomach snarled. Starving, on the other hand, seemed a distinct possibility. The meager supply of preserved food he’d brought was a distant memory. He didn’t know what ogre tasted like, but if he grew hungry enough, it might be necessary to find out.
His guards stopped at a left-hand branch and one of them pointed.
“Down there, huh?” Sig peered down the dark tunnel but saw nothing.
He willed a glow light to fly down the path, but it revealed only more ice. The floor appeared rough from lack of use.
He shrugged and followed their directions. Fifteen strides from the branch, the tunnel opened up into a round cavern. A trio of ogres, the biggest he’d ever seen, crouched around the still-bloody haunch of some beast. Five pallets made of stinking, uncured hides lay on the floor near the wall. So these were to be his roommates. Not his first choice for sleeping companions.
One of the ogres, a nearly ten-foot-tall brute with a heavy brow ridge and bald head straightened and stared at him. “I thought it was a joke when word of a human coming to join the queen’s army reached my ears. It seems the story was true.”
The ogre spoke clear, if rough, Common. The other two, nearly as tall as the first, stood as well. Sig never considered himself a small man, but these beasts made him feel like a child. Nevertheless, he dared show no fear.
“I’m not here to join your army, but to lead it. You’re looking at your next general, best show the proper respect.”
The ogres threw back their heads and laughed. Hardly the reaction he’d hoped for, but not a surprise either. Let them laugh. When he earned the Ice Queen’s blessing they’d learn their place. In the meantime, some of that meat would make a nice supper.
He brushed past the ogres, drew his belt knife, and carved off a thick chunk of rich, red meat. He still couldn’t guess what animal it came from, but he allowed himself to believe it was elk.
Sig turned just in time to find a ham-sized fist streaking in at his head. His shield deflected the worst of the blow, but it still sent him flying across the chamber into the wall. He grunted on impact, but clambered quickly to his feet, none the worse for wear.
The ogre that struck him bent down, collected Sig’s dinner, and stuffed the whole piece of meat in his mouth. “If you want to eat, human, find your own mammoth.”
So much for the convenient fiction that it was elk. Sig brushed himself off, marched over, and prepared to cut off another piece.
When the monster drew back to hit him again, Sig gathered his power and lashed out. A blast of soul force hammered the ogre in the chest and sent him flying into the wall with enough force to shake the chamber.
Sig glared at the other two, daring them to do something.
They bared their fangs and crouched, ready to spring.
Power crackled around Sig’s hands. He didn’t intend to go down without a fight.
“What are you idiots doing?” a higher-pitched, more refined voice asked.
Sig spun to find a female ogre in a dragon mask standing in the entrance to the chamber. She had a slender build, at least for an ogre, and stood only seven feet tall. A long top knot of black hair hung down to the center of her back. Behind her was the biggest male yet. The brute had to stand hunched over to avoid banging his head.
“And who are you?” Sig asked, soul force still sparking from his clenched fists.
“I am Ilda, war-leader and candidate for Queen’s Champion, the same as you and those three across the way. The silent one behind me is my second, Thog. And you are?”
Sig relaxed a fraction. “Sigurd Iceborn and I will be the Queen’s Champion.”
“Perhaps. No human, much less a human sorcerer, has appeared before our queen and emerged alive. That argues well for your chances. If she didn’t think you had potential, she would have crushed you herself. Of course, our queen may have decided to let you live for entertainment purposes. That would be like her as well. Either way, tomorrow begins the Great Hunt. It would serve us all well to conserve our strength.”
She seemed far too civilized for an ogre. Not bad looking either if you could ignore the blue skin and bulging muscles.
“I take no orders from you, Ilda,” the ogre Sig blasted said. “My war-band brought back the most skulls during the last incursion.”
“So you keep boasting, Gorn. My band was too busy killing humans to waste time collecting their skulls. Perhaps if you worried less about trophies, you’d be a better leader.”
Gorn tensed and the giant Thog moved to stand beside Ilda. Sig didn’t blame Gorn when he relaxed again. No one in their right mind would have wanted to face the giant ogre. Through
out the confrontation, the other two silent males watched and kept their distance. An excellent strategy that Sig intended to follow himself.
“He won’t help you in the contest,” Gorn said.
Ilda nodded and patted Thog on the arm. “Perhaps, but the contest doesn’t start until tomorrow and no rule forbids someone watching my back while I sleep. And I intend to sleep well tonight.”
Ilda lay down on one of the pallets and Thog sat beside her, unblinking. Under the huge ogre’s glare, the others settled in on their own beds of furs.
Sig took the opportunity to finally get a hunk of meat and set it to roasting over soul force generated heat. As the meat sizzled, he pondered what Ilda said about a great hunt. What, exactly, did the dragon expect them to hunt?
Chapter Eleven
The mammoth meat sat like lead in Sig’s stomach as he tried to get comfortable on his conjured bed. The construct felt soft enough. The real barrier to sleep was the five ogres who would happily kill him lying less than three strides away just waiting for him to lower his guard.
Conjuring a barrier and maintaining it through the night would drain a fair chunk of soul force, but if he didn’t do it, he’d get no sleep which would render him useless tomorrow. It would only take a few hours to regenerate his energy in the morning. Sleep would be harder to find.
A golden dome appeared around him and he turned it black. That should stop any attack the ogres might throw, at least long enough for him to wake and counterattack. Satisfied with his defenses, Sig closed his eyes.
He’d barely fallen asleep when a heavy blow sent lightning bolts through his brain. A second and third struck the dome and fractured it.
Sig shook his head in a vain attempt to clear the fog as he prepared to blast whoever had attacked. Extending his senses, he felt a trio of ogres surrounding him. They swung heavy clubs made of ice that hit with the force of a battering ram.
The center ogre raised its club and Sig struck.
Dreaming in the Dark: Chains of the Fallen Volume 1 (Soul Force Saga Book 4) Page 4
