“But why?” Didi asked.
“I need to finish some things before the big guns start hunting me. If it’s all going to get mined anyway, does it really matter if we pull out everything we can right now against a couple of months?” Doc asked and waited for them to answer.
“No,” Alf sighed. “We just saw the big payout... didn’t consider what kind of effect it would have. Fucks sake, the town can’t handle more than a pound of mythrium. The bank is going to have trouble with five pounds of spirit stone. If we drip it into the town instead and hint that it’ll run out soon…”
“It might buy us a month or two,” Rangvald nodded. “Even if I pull the entire clan in, they’ll hesitate, thinking we’re just going insane over the small bit we did bring in.”
“How much can we do it without completely tipping them off?” Doc asked. “I have a couple of things I need to move on before the solstice.”
“Hm… we could bring in a pound and a half of mythrium, which would be that entire sliver we saw up to three inches deep, a head-sized piece of spirit stone, broken into smaller chunks, and the gold from the floor of the cavern...” Rangvald said, clearly calculating numbers in his head. “Fifty thousand, give or take, depending on what the town can handle.”
Doc blinked as he tried to process what he had just heard while the dwarves snickered at him. “What?”
“You heard me right,” Rangvald said seriously. “Both of them are worth a lot of money, and I doubt that mythrium vein is that weak. Between that and the spirit stone, this mine should last for a while. If the gold is added on, we have years of mining ahead of us.”
“After paying you all and keeping the business account up,” Doc said with a grin. “When are you doing the first run?”
“A little over a week,” Rangvald said.
“Okay. I’m heading back tomorrow. Did you need me to deliver any messages?”
“Yes,” Rangvald grinned. “Might as well start early. Let me grab my papers and ink. Burk, take Didi and Alf and start working on the dry stream dam. The rest of you...” He got up and went to the right side of the waterfall, looked over the rock, and tapped it four times. “Those points are the arch. Start carving the shape out. Tomorrow, we’ll get props made and finish the tunnel.”
The six dwarves all split into groups and went to work. Rangvald took a seat at the camp after taking some paper and ink to write a few letters. Doc took the charcoal pencil and a piece of paper and sketched out a Bowie knife.
When Rangvald was finished, he gave Doc the letters. “Who are these going to?”
“Otto. He’ll pass them on for me.” Doc passed him the sketch. “This is the knife?”
“Yeah.”
“Big,” Rangvald said, looking it over. “A long dagger, if not for the shape. Why the dip at the front?”
Doc did his best to explain the clip point and handguard when asked about it afterward. “Can you make it?”
“I can make it,” Rangvald nodded. “Do you mind if I make a couple first before I do yours?”
“Why?”
“I want the one I make for you to be quality. It’ll take me a time or two before I can do that.”
“That’ll increase the time to make it, right?”
“Yes.”
“Go ahead, but don’t let it interfere with your work.”
“It won’t.”
“Then go ahead.”
“Good. I should be able to get some runes on it, too.”
“Then take your time,” Doc laughed.
Chapter Thirty-nine
Doc wondered why Jesamin had not been back for dinner, but Rangvald assured him it was fine because she was setting out markers. Packing up his gear after breakfast, Doc half-watched the dwarves working on the trees so they could make props for the cave entrance. He left the Express rifle with Rangvald so they had protection if the se’sxac showed up.
“Sir,” Tony called out, “thank you.”
“Yes, thank you, sir,” Joseph added.
“Don’t thank me, you have to keep working. Your work is going to expand in another couple of weeks when more miners show up.”
“We know, but this gives us a chance to learn for later. Rangvald said that even when more come out, we’ll be able to keep our jobs and that someone would show us how to pan for gold when we have time.”
“Good. You two be good and stay safe,” Doc said, swinging himself into the saddle.
“We will,” they said together.
Rangvald stepped away from the others as they trimmed a tree down. “I’ll be back in a bit over a week.”
“That’s fine. Tony and Joseph said you’d be showing them how to pan for gold.”
“Figured you wouldn’t mind.”
“I don’t. But half of what they pan out they keep for themselves.”
Rangvald chuckled, “I was already planning on it. Glad I have your approval, though. Make it less awkward later.”
“Great minds think alike,” Doc laughed. “See me when you make it back to town. The Express is with the wagon in case you need it.”
“Sure you don’t want it?” Rangvald asked.
“I’ll be fine,” Doc said. “I gotta get going. Have to move fast to make it back before the tournament.”
“Safe travels,” Rangvald said.
~*~*~
Doc had the mare moving at a fast trot as he followed the rough trail back toward the road. Hours passed, the sun well on its way to midday, when the sounds of nature cut off. Stopping the horse, he looked around warily.
The sound of a breaking branch made him jerk the reins. Jesamin came stumbling towards him, her hand pressed to her side as blood leaked around her fingers. “Run!” she panted. “Se’sxac coming!”
Doc hissed as he got off the horse and rushed to her. Hands glowing as healing hands kicked in, he pressed one to her torn leathers while the other went around her waist when she fell into him. “Fuck! Jesamin, what happened?”
Eyes wild, Jesamin grabbed him, “It’s coming! We need to run!”
The roar of the se’sxac echoed through the woods, and an enraged cat yowl echoed it.
“Krisriit is buying me time,” Jesamin hiccupped, clearly upset about it. “We need to go.”
The mare let out an uneasy whicker and began to back up. With the bleeding stopped, Doc turned to the fractured ribs. Knowing he was spending more energy than he should, he still forced her to heal. The moment the bones were stable, he cut the magic off. “Come on,” he said, walking quickly toward his horse.
Whickering, the horse backed up further when the se’sxac roared again. Doc grimaced and let go of Jesamin as he tried to grab the reins of the horse. Jesamin staggered after him, feeling better, but still weak from her blood loss.
“Come on, you stupid beast,” Doc hissed as he lunged for the horse. It reared up and bucked at him. Ducking aside, he missed being kicked but also missed the reins.
With a panicked whinny, the horse turned and bolted back the way it had come, leaving the two of them standing there. Jesamin panted as she pulled her bow off her back, then frowned at the pistol on Doc’s hip.
“Well, fuck,” Doc grimaced, pulling the pistol. “You okay with walking?”
“Yes, but I won’t get far,” Jesamin told him. “You go, I’ll buy you time.”
Doc snorted, “Fuck that. If you stay, I stay.”
“We’ll both die that way,” she said harshly. “Best one of us lives, and you are the one who needs to live.”
“She isn’t wrong,” Rosa said, appearing from behind a tree. “You need to survive, Voice.”
Doc shook his head, jaw set. “No. I can help if I can get my hands on it long enough.” He locked eyes with Rosa. “You need to immobilize it for me.”
Rosa winced, “I’m not able to do much against it. The Darkness corrupting it resists me.”
“Pit trap, plants, I don’t care what it takes,” Doc said, staring into her eyes. “Hold it still for me.”
&
nbsp; “I will help,” Jesamin said before whistling shrilly. “Krisriit will bring it to us.”
Rosa looked around nervously. “Ten feet in front of you… I’ll set a pit. I do not like this plan.”
“Don’t care for it, myself,” Doc replied, “but I took the gift to cleanse the Darkness for a reason. The time is now.”
Rosa stepped to stand a foot from him, “I will need you after this.”
“You’ll have to wait,” Doc replied. “Between Jesamin and trying this, I’m probably not going to be able to do anything.”
Rosa’s eyes started to glow, “I will need some of you, at least. I can wait until tomorrow for me.”
Grabbing her by the back of the head, he pulled her to him roughly and kissed her hard. Rosa’s eyes widened, then closed as her arms went around him. The kiss lingered for a couple of seconds until he stepped back, breaking the moment.
“We’ll see what I can do.”
Rosa was breathing hard, her eyes glowing as she stepped past him to kneel and place both hands on the ground. “Mother, the Voice has need… help me,” she whispered.
Doc felt the ground shiver and stepped back a few feet. “Jesamin, are you sure you want to stay for this?”
“I can’t run while one of my charges faces a se’sxac.”
“Don’t hold back. If you kill it, that’s fine.”
Jesamin nodded as she held an arrow to string and waited.
Rosa rose from where she had knelt, her legs trembling. “I’ve done all I can. It will support your friend, Jesamin, but it won’t support the se’sxac.”
Doc exhaled, “Okay. Come back here. No reason for you to get hurt.”
Rosa smiled before her eyes rolled up and she collapsed. Doc lunged to catch her, dropping his pistol. He was about to speak when a high-pitched whine caught his attention. Krisriit came flying towards him awkwardly. Falling with Rosa on top of him, they missed the injured cat that went over them.
“Krisriit are you—?” Jesamin whispered in horror as the mighty hunter whimpered and dragged itself toward her, his back legs not working.
There was an enraged roar as the se’sxac rushed into the clearing, cutting her off. The beast was tall, hairy, and drooling. Its gait was stilted as it hunched over and used one of its arms to shuffle toward them. The other arm was a bleeding mess.
Rolling Rosa off him, Doc grabbed her and dragged her back. “Jes, help! I’ll heal Krisriit after.”
Eyes filled with rage, Jesamin focused on the se’sxac. Jaw set, she drew and loosed in rapid succession, each arrow glowing softly leaving the string. Her bow glowed as well as she drew the string back to fire again.
The enraged se’sxac swatted at the arrows, deflecting most of them, but not all. Those that made it sank inches deep into the beast’s heavily muscled flesh, but it broke the shafts and kept coming toward them.
“Fuck us,” Doc muttered as he reached for his holster only to find the gun gone. He saw it on the ground and hissed. “Okay, no weapons then.”
With another angry roar, the se’sxac launched itself forward in a rush, ignoring the next two arrows. One of the arrows sank deep into its uninjured shoulder. The other grazed its face, making it turn its head away.
Two feet away from Doc, who was frozen in place, the ground suddenly fell in. The se’sxac let out a surprised sound as it vanished from view. A pained howl went up from the hole, and a single bloody hand groped at the lip of the pit.
Surging forward, Doc’s hands lit up with energy as he grabbed the massive hand with both of his. The knowledge hit him like a sledge as he connected with the se’sxac; soul corruption, torn tendons, numerous puncture wounds from the fall onto spikes. Doc couldn’t tell if the se’sxac would survive the wounds even if it could get out of the pit, but with just one working arm and both legs riddled with wounds, it wasn’t going to have an easy time of it.
Corruption first, Doc told himself as he pushed his energy to battle the Darkness swirling inside of it.
The se’sxac wasn’t going to let it happen easily. Shaking its hand, it almost pulled Doc into the pit. Jesamin came in, stabbing down with her knife and pinning the hand to the ground, her face a rictus of anger.
Doc breathed easier when Jesamin joined him, hoping that would stop him from almost going into the pit again. Pressing his energy into the creature, he felt the Darkness rush up through the connection for him. Doc’s breath caught when he felt the energy clash with his, the warmth being suppressed to an icy coldness at his fingertips.
Why do you fight us? You are not even native to this world. You shouldn’t be here. Why do you help those despots? The alien thoughts tore into his brain, his mind rebelling as the words were shoved into him.
Because Luck asked me, Doc gritted in his mind as he pushed harder.
She ignored you for years until she could use you. The thought hit him hard. Now you bend to her whim because she patted your head? We can gift you more than she can ever hope. We are legion, we are eternal, we are without end! Join us and know what this base creature knew; that with us, you can be everything you desire.
The words were accompanied by images— Doc sitting on a luxurious throne. Lia, Fiala, Jesamin, and all the other women lounging around him, rubbing against his legs, massaging his feet, and more intimate places. The images made his focus waver for a moment, and the coldness in his fingertips spread to the entirety of his fingers.
Yes! Join us! We will give you much. The thought echoed and resonated inside his head, making it painful to focus on cleansing the se’sxac.
“Doc?” Lia’s voice touched him. “What about the Lily?”
“What about me, Doc?” Fiala’s voice came on her heels.
“You promised me...” Rosa’s weakened voice reached him.
“Your future is yours,” Luck’s voice was barely audible. “You may step aside and join the Darkness. That is the easy path. Or you may stay with me, facing the hardships and trials... the hard and rocky path. It is your choice.”
“I don’t back down,” Doc gritted out audibly. Biting his own cheek, he forced the thoughts aside.
Foolish! Fine. Death will claim you after all, the alien thoughts responded before they exploded inside his head.
Doc tried to scream in pain, but blood filled his mouth and flowed from his nose. The coldness vanished and his warmth rushed into the se’sxac.
~*~*~
Gentle hands stroked Doc’s brow. A soft song was filling the air, easing him back to wakefulness. Rosa was looking down at him and into his eyes when he finally opened them. “We survived?” he croaked.
Rosa’s face was lined, and her vibrant hair was near white in the morning light. “Barely in many cases and no in another. I used more than I have in ages to keep you alive when you cleansed the se’sxac. Mother has welcomed him home again. Thank you for doing that, Doc.”
“Mother welcomed him…? He didn’t make it?”
“No. His wounds and what the Darkness did at the end to kill you both claimed his life. But because of you, he was free of the corruption and able to go home. You have Mother’s thanks, and mine.”
“Will you be okay?” he asked, reaching up and gently brushing her cheek.
“If given some time with you, yes. But first, you have another who needs you. Can you heal again?”
Doc took stock of his status. He was injured and his vitality was low, but his energy had returned to him. “I think so.”
“Jesamin, can Krisriit come here?” Rosa asked.
“One moment,” Jesamin’s voice came back to him.
Doc turned his head. He was resting in Rosa’s lap, and could see Jesamin helping shift the injured animal to his side. Krisriit was panting, his eyes unfocused as he licked at Jesamin’s hand. “What happened to him?”
“I think his spine is broken,” Jesamin said quietly. “I gave him some herbs to dull the pain. If you can’t heal him, I’ll give him more so he goes peacefully. Rosa said you can heal him, so I’ve waited.�
��
Doc swallowed as he stared at the once-proud cat. When Jesamin brought Krisriit to his side, Doc used healing hands and gently touched the injured cat. Spine is broken, left back leg is broken, as well... small injuries that are causing internal bleeding and heavily drugged. Internal injuries first or he’ll die regardless. Doc closed his eyes and breathed slowly as he stopped the bleeding, then worked on Krisriit’s spine. He felt his energy near depletion when he was done with it.
Suited for Luck Page 31
