Soldier Sworn (The Teralin Sword Book 3)

by D. K. Holmberg

  Other than that, what did he know? Was there something about the teralin mines that was necessary?

  Endric took a deep breath while debating what he should do.

  As he did, he heard movement.

  He held his breath, making a point of not moving anything, daring not to do anything but listen. With the female dead, would the groeliin remain, or would they return to the rest of the groeliin outside?

  What else could he do?

  He felt as if he should do something more, find some way of gaining information that might help the groeliin in the future, but what could he do by himself?

  An idea came to him that put him at risk, but it was one that might actually matter for the Antrilii, something that gave them the potential for peace that they had never had.

  As he thought through his plan, he wondered—could he reach the other females? Could he destroy them so they couldn't breed anymore?

  Could he survive long enough to make a difference?

  28

  Darkness completely concealed Endric as he crept forward. The only sound in the cavern was that of his steady breathing. He no longer heard the soft scuffling that he attributed to the groeliin, and he no longer noticed the soft hissing that he had heard when the groeliin—and the newborns—were there.

  He lost track of time, not sure how much had passed since he had first come to the cavern or since he had killed the female. Should he have attacked the groeliin offspring as well? By leaving them alive, they would grow up to be creatures who would assault the Antrilii. It might've been simpler simply to remove that threat now.

  Endric shook himself, his mind starting to drift. He was exhausted but didn't dare allow himself to relax. He would have to suffer another sleepless night—or longer—if he intended to make it through this foolhardy plan.

  The only thing that remained was the steady, dark light of the cavern. The longer he was here, the less question there was that he was surrounded by negatively charged teralin. Endric had to push away the oppression and the sense that came from it and force himself to ignore the dark thoughts that came with it. Doing so was a constant struggle, but it became easier the longer that he was here.

  Or was it?

  Maybe the teralin began to influence him much like it had done so to Novan and Brohmin. Maybe he was starting to feel the influence of it.

  He didn't think that was the case but tried to harden his mind, using his Denraen training to seal away those thoughts. Were he less tired, he thought it might be easier. As it was, he struggled to push away that darkness and managed only to leave himself with a hint of the sense of the dark teralin.

  Endric paused where he'd left the dead female and her offspring. He stared into the darkness, looking for evidence that any groeliin remained, but nothing moved.

  Endric crept forward and saw the female lying where he'd left her. Surprisingly, there were seven offspring lying next to her, unmoving.

  Endric frowned. Why should the offspring have perished?

  Unless she'd been feeding them.

  That didn’t make sense. They’d been feeding on the body parts. What would she have been feeding them that he would've taken away through his presence?

  The body of the larger groeliin was missing. The head remained, which Endric thought strange, but the body—including the arm—was gone.

  Why would the groeliin take the creature with them?

  He made his way carefully through, heading back toward the opening in the cave. Had the groeliin abandoned searching for him? Did they decide that he was either not going to be found or that it was not worth their time to search for him? Or was there something else?

  When he reached the mouth of the cave, he saw that the bodies of the groeliin he'd killed remained.

  Endric frowned. They had taken only the creature with the markings. They left both the dead female and the bodies of these others, those that he could only describe as soldiers.

  Why did they value that one more than the rest?

  And did they value it? Or was it the markings on the creature that they valued?

  He crept forward, pausing at the mouth of the cave.

  Darkness had fallen. He wasn't certain what to expect out in the clearing, not certain whether the groeliin would continue to patrol. That was the only description for what they had done before.

  There was minimal movement. Endric was surprised to find the groeliin sleeping in clusters, similar to how they had patrolled. He wouldn't be shocked to learn that they remained clustered within their broods.

  Would he be able to move quietly enough to the next cave?

  That was his plan, but doing so would be dangerous. He should have asked Nahrsin how the groeliin hunted. He thought of other animals he’d faced, though the more he learned of the groeliin, the less he thought of them as simple animals. They were smarter than the Antrilii let on. Did they use sight or smell to hunt? Maybe it was movement that alerted them.

  He hoped the laca fur had camouflaged him, but for what he planned, he needed something more than just the fur.

  Endric turned to one of the bodies, holding down the rising bile that threatened him and cut into one of the bodies, smearing its blood on his arms and face. The odor was tremendous, but maybe it would be enough to help conceal him as he made his way toward the next cave.

  Endric started out of the cave. The night swallowed him. He moved carefully, staying close to the rock. A hint of wind blew through the air, but not so much that it pulled on his laca covering. It forced the stench of the groeliin blood up into his nose, nearly making him retch again. He had to breathe through his mouth, but even that was not much better.

  He kept his eyes on the patrol that ranged on the far side of the clearing.

  In spite of the fact that the groeliin slept openly as they did, and the fact that they didn't seem to have any form of communication, this had the appearance of a coordinated camp. The patrols at least made it seem like they were coordinated.

  If he managed to stay clear of the patrol, he was hopeful that he could make his way to the next cave entrance.

  He stepped as lightly as possible, wishing again for the fur-lined boots he had made from the laca. At least with those, he had had an easier time with moving quietly. The Antrilii boots had supple soles, and they were comfortable and warm enough, but he didn't fit as well into them.

  He noticed the next cavern about two dozen paces from him.

  The patrol turned back toward him.

  Endric froze. If they noticed him now, he would have to either make a run for it again, or he would have to retreat into the tunnel he'd come from. He doubted that they would abandon the chase quite as easily the next time.

  The patrol moved toward him. It was a cluster of three groeliin. Like all of the creatures he’d seen in the valley, this one had the faint black fog surrounding them. It wasn't enough to obscure his ability to see them, though. The three groeliin carried long clubs. All three had scraps of drab black fabric tied around their waists. They headed straight toward him before swinging back around, looping toward the opposite side of the clearing.

  Endric let out a breath.

  They hadn't noticed him.

  He still didn't know whether it was concealment from the groeliin blood or whether it was the furs. Either way, he had the reprieve.

  He continued toward the next cavern. When he reached the mouth of the cave, he ducked inside and made his way carefully along it.

  Much like the first one, this cave had smooth walls, and Endric suspected that teralin had been mined here previously. Had Antrilii mined it or had it happened long ago?

  The heat pressed upon him and the walls glowed with a soft, dark energy, much like the last cavern did.

  As he reached the back of the cavern, he saw what he suspected would be here.

  Another female lay propped against the wall. Unlike the last, she had no offspring around her. Her belly was full and fat, and it writhed from the offspring inside her.


  Endric move forward carefully, watching for signs of both her awareness of him as well as another of the strange, heavily marked, groeliin.

  It took a moment, but he saw the massive groeliin first.

  The creature stood, watching the female, his back toward Endric. Endric crept forward, and—before the groeliin could realize he was there—he powered through a sharp arc, taking off the groeliin's head.

  Endric raced forward and stabbed the female before she could hiss and make noise that would alert any of the others.

  Endric's heart beat faster. Was he a murderer or was he doing necessary work now?

  Either answer felt correct.

  He headed toward the mouth of the tunnel, preparing to move on. He didn't know if he’d be able to make his way all the way around the breeding ground, but that was his intent.

  Endric reached the mouth of the cavern. The patrol was on the far side of the clearing. Endric kept along the wall, moving slowly. He was determined not to make noise, determined to make it to the next cavern before the groeliin caught sight of him. This next one was closer.

  Endric ducked inside, and two groeliin converged on him soon as he stepped inside.

  Endric attacked, slicing through the first, managing to avoid a spiked club colliding with the side of his head as he spun away. He jabbed at the next, stabbing the groeliin in the gut. It caught the creature, and he sliced up, disemboweling him.

  Only then did Endric realize that he'd been struck. The club had pierced his shoulder, having penetrated through the outer layer of the thick leathers.

  He pried it free, and his arm throbbed where it had pierced him.

  Endric made his way down the tunnel, cursing himself. He had been foolish. He had one experience where he thought he'd been safe and had let his guard down. Because of that, now he had an injury that made him fear he might be limited in his attacks.

  Near the back of the cavern, Endric received another surprise.

  Three groeliin waited.

  It was almost like they expected him. As soon as he appeared, they converged. Endric stepped back, getting himself into his forms, following patterns that helped to settle his mind. He beheaded the first groeliin and was quickly moving on to the second when he was struck from behind.

  Endric spun and nearly dropped his sword.

  A man attacked him with a long length of staff.

  Endric danced away, cutting down one of the groeliin as he did.

  Another person appeared, this one a woman. Like the man, she carried with her what appeared to be nothing more than a tree branch, much like Endric had used a branch when he first had been released into the mountains.

  As he adjusted to the fighting, he realized both the man and the woman were naked.

  Had they been sent on a penance?

  They stared at him, eyes seemingly glazed.

  He noticed a flicker of movement and Endric spun, realizing that the third groeliin attacked from the side.

  Endric danced around, spinning so that he put the groeliin between himself and the people. They seemed to be attacking on behalf of the groeliin, and he wanted to understand what was happening before he harmed them.

  The groeliin fell, cut down quickly with the sword.

  These weren't the massive groeliin, and these were not anything particularly powerful, but they had nearly overwhelmed them simply because they had surprised him.

  With the groeliin dispatched, the two people remained.

  Endric hated the idea of attacking them, but they both came at him, swinging their makeshift clubs at him.

  Endric didn't have to kill them.

  He grabbed the spear that he had strapped to his back, and swung this, connecting with the woman. He hit her on the side of the head, not using all of his force. She crumpled. The man lunged toward him, and Endric spun the staff, striking the man. He fell as well.

  The female groeliin sat at the back of the cavern. This was different than what he'd seen with the others. A dozen or so offspring crawled around, most of them clinging to the ground.

  As he approached, he wondered what was it about the caverns that the females needed to breed here.

  Endric stabbed the female, piercing her heart.

  The offspring started hissing, much like they did when he had killed the first female.

  Endric grabbed the spear and clubbed each of the infants until they stopped hissing.

  He needed to know why they were here, why they chose this place for their breeding. He shifted them, sliding them away from the female. There was nothing clear, no obvious reason for their presence here that he could determine.

  Was there something about the position of the female?

  Endric sheathed his sword, strapped the spear to his back as he had before, and dragged her off to the side.

  As he moved her, he noted a surge in the dark light of the cavern.

  Teralin.

  Not just teralin, but dark teralin. Negatively charged teralin.

  She'd been sitting on it.

  Was she trying to protect it?

  Was there something else here that he didn't fully understand?

  As he watched, he realized there seemed to be a thready connection from the teralin to the female. It grew weaker rapidly.

  Endric frowned. He took groeliin's arms and rolled her, and gasped.

  Dozens upon dozens of markings had been made on her back. Unlike the heavily marked groeliin, these were blackened rather than raised in red. These appeared to be tattooed into her, as if the teralin had been infused under her skin.

  His gaze drifted toward the teralin, and he had to wonder: Was she somehow drawing power from the teralin in the tunnels?

  Was that what she was feeding to the groeliin offspring?

  Maybe that was the reason the groeliin he’d seen all had the hazy clouds around them. Maybe that was why they were so difficult to kill. Maybe that was why the breeding grounds had to be here.

  Endric had to change his plan. He couldn’t risk himself, trying to slaughter all the breeding females. Injured as he was, he might not survive. What he’d discovered was simply too important.

  He had to get this information to Nahrsin and to Gron, which meant he had to live.

  He had to get back to the Antrilii.

  29

  As he neared the end of the tunnel and could see out, Endric could tell the scene in the clearing was much different. The groeliin were awake. The patrols were more agitated. The creatures made their way around the clearing in pairs and triplets, all searching.

  Endric stayed close to the rock, afraid to move. If the groeliin realized he was there, he would face more attackers than he could handle.

  There still were probably a dozen different caves he hadn't reached. A dozen groeliin females that would continue to breed, and would continue to create offspring that would attack the Antrilii, and would continue to destroy.

  Endric didn't move. There was no need to retreat—not yet. They didn't seem to know he was there.

  But there was no good place for him to go, either. He could retreat deeper into the tunnels, but all that would do would place him away from the groeliin and keep him trapped. Endric needed an escape.

  A grouping of four groeliin came in his direction. Two carried clubs while two seemed unarmed.

  Endric realized the patrols moved into each of the cave mouths.

  When they discovered the other females had been killed, how would the response change?

  He focused on the groeliin coming his way. Why were two of them unarmed?

  All of the groeliin he'd faced—all that he had fought for so far—had been armed in some way. Was there another kind of groeliin coming toward him?

  He remained off to the side of the cave mouth. When they entered, Endric let them pass. Somehow, they hadn't noticed him.

  He followed them, moving quietly as they went deeper into the cavern.

  Endric waited until they were nearly toward the end of the cave when they w
ere close to the discovering the dead female, then he lunged.

  He stabbed, catching the first groeliin in the back. The other stepped away, and he missed as he swung through his form, but struck one of the lead groeliin, chopping off his arm.

  The groeliin hissed, the sound painfully loud in his ears, likely gaining the notice of the others outside the cave.

  Endric jabbed, catching the other groeliin in the gut, and it doubled forward, sliding up the length of his blade.

  Endric's hand got caught, and he was forced to drop the sword.

  He was struck in the back and staggered forward.

  He managed to catch himself and turned quickly, noting that the remaining groeliin stood near him. He attacked bare fisted. The creature struck him again, catching him in the shoulder. Endric spun, not able to reach for either his sword or for the spear.

  The groeliin kicked, catching Endric in the side.

  He lost his breath and grunted.

  Endric doubled over, and the groeliin kicked him in the head, sending him flying backward.

  He tried reaching for a weapon, anything, but he lost the club somewhere, and he couldn't reach for a spear.

  The groeliin kicked again. Endric managed to duck and avoid getting struck in the head once more. He spun, careful to stay out of reach. He felt to the side, and there he came upon one of the clubs the people had carried with them.

  Endric jerked it free from their grip, not caring which one—the man or the woman—he took from.

  When the groeliin kicked again, Endric swung the club and managed to catch his leg, striking enough that he spun the creature around.

  It gave Endric a chance to remove the spear in his back, and Endric jabbed with it, connecting with the creature’s shoulder.

  The groeliin jerked and freed itself.

  He lunged forward, slamming the club at the creature's head. He managed to connect, but the groeliin didn't fall, not as the others had.