The ground shook and a dull roar came from the hole. The furious linnorm burst out of the ground and reared up forty feet in the air.
Ilda gave it no time to prepare, leaping easily at its head. Sig conjured six golden panels all around the worm.
The linnorm slashed at her. Ilda pulled her leg out of the way at the last second, hit his wall, and kicked left, away from a second slashing mandible.
Quicker than his eye could follow she bounced from one wall to the next, always half a second ahead of the roaring linnorm. The monster’s six eyes worked independently to track her movements and it somehow seemed capable of following her lightning attacks.
The standoff lasted a minute, then two.
Ilda’s core was draining quickly. If she didn’t make the strike soon she’d fail.
Sig watched for an opening, somewhere he could get in a blast, but without knowing where she’d be one moment to the next he risked hitting Ilda. For some reason the thought of blasting the female ogre gave him pause. Technically they were adversaries, yet he felt an odd loyalty to her, even an attraction.
A scream refocused him on the battle. The linnorm had caught her foot as she passed and Ilda now hung, helpless, from one of its talons.
The second mandible shot over to finish her off. Before he could think better of it, Sig conjured a barrier between her and the foot-long bone.
A talon bounced off his wall. The linnorm let out a piercing shriek of frustration. Sig drew deep from his core, conjured a giant hand, and grabbed Ilda.
She was halfway to him when the giant worm swung its head and slammed into her. Ilda went flying, straight at Sig.
Her body struck his shield and shattered it.
Momentarily stunned, Sig failed to keep them in the air.
They tumbled toward the ground in a tangle of arms and legs.
He collected himself just in time to conjure a sphere around them before the linnorm swallowed them whole.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ilda’s calf ended up across his face so all Sig could see was blue skin. He shifted and squirmed and when his view cleared he wished he hadn’t bothered. Beyond his shield was nothing but pink worm skin and row after row of teeth. The damn thing hadn’t swallowed them completely. Looked like they’d gotten stuck in its throat. Getting unstuck was going to be the trick.
His unlucky companion groaned and kicked him in the gut.
“Hey!”
“What happened?” She didn’t sound entirely with it yet.
“We got eaten. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t kick me again.”
“Sorry.” Her voice sounded stronger already. Nothing like the healing of an internal soul force user. “My plan didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped.”
“No kidding. When I considered worst case scenarios, getting eaten by the worm didn’t even cross my mind.”
At least him getting eaten hadn’t. Ilda getting devoured had seemed much more likely. No sense worrying about what might have been.
“Any thoughts on how we might get out of here?”
“Maybe we don’t want to.” Ilda moved again, getting her legs under her. “Maybe the best way to kill it is from the inside. Can you blast through its flesh into its brain?”
“Are you insane? It’s taking every bit of power I can muster just to keep it from crushing us. In about five minutes my core will be depleted and then we die.”
“What if—”
Her next thought was cut off when the worm gave a violent shake of its head. Back and forth they went, like dice in a cup, until finally they flew out its mouth.
The bubble slammed into a wall and slid down to land on the ground. Sig shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs.
“It’s leaving,” Ilda said.
She’d found her feet before him and stood staring out into the darkness. Sig dispelled the bubble and conjured a bright light. They’d ended up in an ice cavern easily as big as the dragon’s lair. Half a dozen tunnels led out of it in different directions.
He extended his senses and found the worm retreating at a rapid clip. Thank heaven for small favors.
“How extensive do you think these caves are?” Sig asked.
“Very, I’d guess. We need to hurry. The linnorm is getting farther away by the moment.”
“Good. We couldn’t beat the damn thing on the surface where we had room to maneuver. We’d have no chance down here. Once we reach the surface we can make a new plan.”
“You’re suggesting we simply let it go?”
Her incredulous reply surprised him. The linnorm had nearly killed them. He didn’t see it so much as letting the monster go as choosing to not commit suicide.
“I’m battered, bruised, and nearly out of soul force. If you want to go after that thing, be my guest, but you’re on your own.”
“What if Gorn finds it first?”
“Then we won’t have to worry about Gorn anymore. Either that or he’ll succeed and we can kill him and take the talon. I like my chances much better against him than that linnorm.”
Sig slumped against the wall and rested his head against its frigid surface. Maybe he’d been kidding himself, thinking he could serve the dragon in exchange for more power. He didn’t know how he’d survive this task, much less finish the whole quest.
Ilda sat beside him. “Perhaps you’re right. Since I learned of my destiny as a berserker, drive and will have gotten me to the rank of war-leader despite being female. I’m one of only three to accomplish that feat. Giving up isn’t in my nature.”
“We’re not giving up.” Sig turned his head just enough to see her. “We’re regrouping and making plans for the next attempt. Maybe we can find a smaller linnorm down here.”
Her laugh made him smile. “Perhaps we shall. After all, they can’t be born that size.”
“If they are, I’d hate to meet their mother.”
Her eyes widened at his suggestion. Yes, somewhere down here there had to be a mother linnorm, or more likely several. If the creatures were as big as his half-jesting suggestion, he should have no trouble sensing them before they ran into one.
Ilda produced a strip of dried meat from her satchel and handed it to him. He gnawed on it while his soul force slowly regenerated.
Two hours later a fully rested Sig stood and stretched. The time had come to make some decisions, but first they needed more information. He stretched his senses to their limit. Despite years of practice, his range still wasn’t great. As far as he could tell, there wasn’t a living thing for a mile in any direction. So much for getting a clue about which way they should go.
“I can’t sense anything,” he said. “Do you have any suggestions?”
“The worm we fought went that way.” Ilda pointed at a tunnel to their left. “I think we should go the opposite way.”
“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. I don’t suppose you know which of these leads back to the surface?”
She shook her head. “My sense of direction is in disarray. Anything I said would be a guess.”
Sig shrugged and they set out down the tunnel she’d suggested. By the light of his glow sphere the jagged edges of the passage were clear. He touched the ice and found it razor sharp. At least the floor was smooth, if not especially flat.
“Do you think they chew these tubes out?” Sig asked.
“Since they don’t have hands, I can’t imagine how else the linnorms would do it.”
He shuddered at the raw strength it would take to bite through ice and stone. No wonder the worms had so many teeth. They must break them off at a tremendous rate.
Fifty yards in, the tunnel started to slope down. Not the direction he’d been hoping for. Sig debated suggesting they turn around and try another direction, but Ilda seemed content to keep going so he kept silent. At least they hadn’t run into anything that wanted to devour them.
Mile after mile they trudged through the worm tunnel, always downward. He hated to think how deep they’d gone. T
he heat had increased to the point that he no longer had to keep the air trapped inside his shield warm. The walls had shifted from a mix of ice and stone to pure stone. Just how deep did these passages run?
Ilda grabbed his shoulder and stopped him in his tracks. “What?”
She held a finger to her lips. Sig cocked his head and listened. Nothing but silence. Her enhanced hearing must have picked up something he missed. He extended his senses again, but still found nothing. Whatever she heard lurked beyond his range.
“There’s something moving up ahead. I can’t tell what, but I can guess. Do you have strength enough to lift us off the stone? Linnorms can sense the vibrations of our steps.”
Sig conjured his box around them and at Ilda’s nod set out again. They crept along at the speed of a quick walk. He could have gone faster but didn’t want to blunder into a trap.
She squeezed his arm and Sig stopped. “Make it dark,” she whispered in his ear.
Her warm breath on his neck sent a shiver down his spine. At his mental command the box turned black and the tunnel plunged into darkness. There was a faint orange glow in the distance. He eased ahead and when she didn’t do anything to stop him kept going. The glow grew brighter, staining the tunnel yellow. A quarter mile further a connecting tunnel turned right.
He glanced at Ilda and raised an eyebrow. She pointed straight ahead so he kept following the glow, careful to keep his speed to a slow walk so that they didn’t catch up to whatever gave off that light.
The first pained roar reached them half a minute later.
“That was an ogre,” Sig said.
Ilda nodded, seeming untroubled by one of her brethren facing danger.
The second roar shook the tunnel and nearly deafened Sig.
“That wasn’t,” Ilda said. “Let’s have a look.”
Sig grimaced. The last thing in the world he wanted was to see whatever made that noise, but he nodded and guided the box down the tunnel. Hopefully, whatever waited would be too busy with the other ogres to bother them.
Chapter Twenty-Six
After three hours of searching the ruins with a remote viewer, Damien returned his sight to his body. He’d found four more packs of the crystal lizards wandering the city. Every time his little spy flew over them, the constructs looked up and tried to absorb it. As long as he stayed near the cavern roof, he appeared to be out of their range. So best guess he needed to keep fifty feet away if he wanted his sorcery to function. Annoying, but hardly the end of the world.
While he’d been busy exploring the city, Dorius worked on a cold dinner. Meat, cheese, and biscuits, the meal of travelers everywhere. Damien set to gnawing on a strip of dried beef. What bothered him most about his scouting mission was his inability to locate the sealed door the professor mentioned. You’d think a giant door would be obvious, but you’d be wrong.
At least the crystal lizards had a short sensory range. Hopefully, keeping to the rooftops would allow them to avoid notice.
“Do we have a plan of action for tomorrow?” Dorius asked.
Damien washed down the jerky with a swig of water. They’d need to find a well soon. “If you can find the door from the rooftops, I figured we’d keep to the high ground and avoid contact with the constructs.”
“It will be difficult, but I’m confident that given time I can find our way.”
Damien nodded, not thrilled with the professor’s answer, but willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. He finished his dinner and caught himself before conjuring a mattress. Using his power would be more likely to attract the constructs. He’d have to make do with the stone roof.
Don’t worry, I can block the discomfort from your mind.
“That’s a relief,” Damien said.
“What?” Dorius asked.
“Nothing. Sleep well, Professor.”
Fifteen minutes later, Damien found himself in Lizzy’s mental world, floating with her through the dark. There was nothing but the two of them, that’s why he loved visiting.
“What do you think about those crystal lizard things?” Damien asked.
“I’ve never seen anything like them.” Lizzy flew up behind him and wrapped her wings around his shoulders. “When I cut one it feels different than regular stone. An energy I’ve never encountered fills every facet. I believe that’s why severing a head or limb doesn’t destroy it.”
“That makes sense. What did you do to make them stop chasing us?”
“Nothing. You know how limited my range is when I’m acting alone.”
Damien chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought. “If you didn’t stop them, why did they stop?”
“I stopped them,” a strange voice said.
Lizzy flew one way and Damien the other, power gathering around both of them.
The shadowy form of the presence appeared twenty feet from them. It looked more solid now, though still indistinct. Its wings resembled those of a bat and a blob on the end might have been a tail. Damien squinted as though that would make any difference.
The presence didn’t move. “I mean you no harm. I saved you because I need your help.”
“You have a funny way of asking for it,” Lizzy said. “How can you invade my psychic realm without an invitation?”
“And why didn’t you speak to us the first time you appeared?” Damien added.
“In the realm of the mind, my power is absolute. The closer you get to me, the easier it is for us to interact. That is why I can speak to you. You’re still too far away for a full connection, so this will have to do.”
“What do you want?” Damien asked.
“So impatient. It is a relief to know some things about you mortals remain unchanged. What I want, among other things, is to offer a warning. A cosmic shift is on the horizon. I have only glimpsed a hint of it, but when it appears, our world will be changed forever. I must make preparations before then and I require your aid.”
Damien’s head spun as he tried to process everything the presence said. The warning sounded so vague he didn’t know what to think. For some reason he trusted the presence’s word. There was no reason in the world for him to do so, yet he harbored no doubts.
“What sort of aid do you need?” Lizzy asked.
“I am trapped by the Builders’ magic. The crystal constructs are both my protectors and my jailers. You must destroy the bindings that restrain my power. That will also disable the constructs.”
“Where are you?” Damien asked.
“Behind the great door that so obsesses your guide.”
“You’re the reason Dorius can’t get this place out of his head,” Damien said. “What did you do to him?”
“Nothing harmful. I simply implanted the suggestion that exploring the entire ruin was the most important thing he could do for his career. The obsession will end when you open the door.”
“Why the manipulation?” Damien asked, suspicious again. “Why not just ask him for help like this?”
“The professor’s mind isn’t open enough for this sort of contact,” Lizzy said. “Only via the medium of a psychic entity like me can this being communicate.”
“You perceive the situation correctly. I did my best with what I had on hand. Now that you are here, I have hope that our world might be saved. Hurry. You should reach the door tomorrow. I will do my best to put the constructs off your trail.”
The presence wavered and vanished, leaving them alone in the dark. A chill ran through Damien and he glanced at Lizzy. She was trembling. “What’s wrong?”
“That, whatever it is, has power beyond anything I’ve ever encountered. To break in here against my will would take something beyond the mightiest demon or angel. And it claims to still have its power restricted. What will it be capable of if we free it?”
Damien didn’t know the answer and he feared it only slightly less than he feared what might happen to the world if they failed to free it.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Damien leapt down from Liz
zy’s conjured bridge and landed on yet another flat roof. Dorius swore up and down that they were getting close, but then again, he’d been saying that for the past three hours. At least the presence seemed to be keeping the lizards at bay.
Dorius went to the edge of the roof and looked left and right. Damien kept his distance. Sometimes when he crowded the professor the old man complained that he couldn’t think. Not that he seemed to be doing such a great job now.
Seconds turned to minutes as the professor stood there scratching his head. Finally, he turned to Damien. “I can’t find it from up here. Everything looks different.”
Clenching his jaw to hold in a curse, Damien gave a full-body shake and said, “We’re going to be targets on the ground. Isn’t there something I can do to help you find your way from up here?”
“I’m sorry, I can’t make out the landmarks from this angle. We could be here forever at this rate. I understand the risks, but there’s no other way.”
If there was no other way, then there was no other way. Damien had Lizzy conjure a slide and then took it to street level.
“Well?” Damien asked.
Dorius looked all around, his face twisted in a frustrated grimace. “I’m not familiar with this part of the city. I think we’re too far east.”
Keeping his impatience firmly under control, Damien gave a single nod and led the way west. Hopefully, they could find the door before the lizards found them.
As they traveled through the deserted city, Damien allowed himself a moment here and there to study the architecture. The style of the buildings was simple, basically cubes of various sizes, but each of the sides sported multiple, elaborate decorations, all featuring a dragon motif. It seemed the locals had an obsession with them.
One thing he hadn’t noticed was any sort of representation of the Builders. You’d think there’d be something, even just a painting in someone’s bedroom.
Dreaming in the Dark: Chains of the Fallen Volume 1 (Soul Force Saga Book 4) Page 10
