by Ben Hale
"How soon should they be here?"
He settled his pistol into a harness under his arm, and then paused to kick dirt onto the fire, extinguishing it. Hefting his bag, he said, "They're already here."
She looked into the opaque cloud, searching by sight and magic for the impending danger. Her senses tuned, she didn't see anything—but after a moment she could hear them.
And they were coming.
Chapter 3: A Greater Fiend
Robar and Tess retreated to the alcove he'd mentioned. Like a knife had split the edge of a hill, the gap narrowed sharply on its way in. A slanted ledge abutted the interior, and provided an excellent vantage point from which to defend themselves. With a curve of stone at their backs, they could focus their whole attention on the gap the creatures would come from.
Robar tossed his duffle bag up to the ledge, and the torch onto a pile of wood on the side. Then he jumped and caught the ledge so he could lever himself up. Tess flew to join him as he began to unload his bag. Rifles, shotguns, grenades, and pistols all found a place at his side or on his body.
"Are we going to need all that?" she asked.
He flashed her a look that said, What do you think?
"What do you want me to do?"
"Can you use your magic?"
She burned a fire in her hand. It took more effort than normal, but she supposed that was due to Robar's presence. His immunity appeared to dampen magical power within the immediate vicinity.
"I can, but not as strong as normal," she replied.
He pointed with his chin into the gap. "Lay any traps you can. They'll be here in a few minutes."
"How can you tell?"
"I have ears, don't I?"
She had no response to that, so she did as he requested. Dropping back into the gap, she began placing condensed fire, gravity, and earth traps at the edge of the darkness. By the time she was finished the sounds of the searching fiends caused her skin to crawl. She flew up to Robar’s side, grunting from the effort.
"Ready?" she asked.
"Are you?" His gaze carried doubt in her abilities, causing her jaw to clench.
"I'll watch the right. Think you can handle the left?"
He snorted a laugh. Reclining into a prone position, he pointed the muzzle of a huge assault gun over the lip of the edge. Thumbing the safety, he said, "If they threaten to overwhelm us, I'll hit the claymores. I'd rather not have to use them though."
She remained standing and lit fire in her palms. His dismissive attitude was irritating. It wasn't like she'd never fought before. At the same time the darkness felt like a weight pressing onto her. She swallowed as a snarl erupted in the Dark, and decided she was grateful that Robar was with her.
The scratching and digging continued to get louder as the fiends followed their trail. Then they appeared at the edge of the gloom, their white eyes glittering.
"Here we go," Robar said, his voice surprisingly calm.
His gun erupted in a deafening roar and a burst of light, and the first of the fiends were torn to shreds. Others took their place, and they lined up on the edge of the Dark. Their eyes burned white as they issued a collective roar. Then they closed in a rush.
Drawing from the surrounding heat, Tess unleashed a torrent of flames. The first ranks shrieked as they were incinerated, but more took their place. Tess didn't let up, and turned her palms towards those that appeared.
Evidently learning from their predecessors, the second line leapt up or dodged to the side, allowing some to get past her initial blast. Forced to divide her attention, she continued to build a firewall as she moved a hand to strike them.
She struck the first, sending him crashing into the stone with a whine of pain. She missed the second. Launching itself into the air, it aimed for her. It was knocked aside as a torrent of bullets impacted its torso.
Robar swiveled back to his side and continued to target his foes. "Don't hesitate to ask for help," he said without looking at her. "We fight as a team or we die divided."
She swallowed and continued to launch fire at the swift creatures, struggling to keep them at bay. The gap into the grotto became an inferno of fire, blood, and torn bodies. Lit by the lingering flames, the entire scene was cast in red and yellow, amplifying the sense of menace as the creatures assaulted their position.
"Changing mag," he yelled. "Cover my side."
Her flank was relatively clear, so she turned one hand to help. Their ledge had taken a noticeable chill after all the heat she'd drawn, so she switched to gravity. Clenching her fist, she created a well that caused all the fiends to sink to the ground. Due to Robar's presence the spell wasn't strong enough to kill them, but it pinned them like trapped lions.
"Re-engaging," Robar said.
Tess returned her full attention to her own flank, and fleetingly wondered if he'd timed that moment for when the attack on her had ebbed. Then it took her whole attention to keep the fiends from overwhelming their position.
Each passing second the creatures advanced in spite of Tess’s and Robar’s attacks. Robar had dropped his smoking gun and had picked up a shotgun. He levered the slide and released an almost continuous steam of gunfire at the fiends.
He cursed as they drew within ten feet, and shouted, "Light your traps!"
She did so, and the concussive blast nearly knocked them from their feet. Wounded and dead were thrown in all directions, with several landing beside them. They picked off the survivors but the next wave had already appeared in the gloom.
"Why are there so many?" Tess asked, breathing hard, a trace of fear in her voice.
"How should I know?" he shouted as he reloaded.
But the line did not advance. Prowling the edge, they snapped and clawed but did not approach.
"What are they waiting for?" Tess asked.
"A bigger one," Robar said grimly, and pulled a pair of grenades into view.
"What do you mean . . ." Then she saw it.
Stalking through the crowd, a creature the size of a small car prowled at the edge of the Dark. Sleek and muscled, it resembled a cat, yet stood taller and larger than any natural creature. Robar cursed under his breath.
"What is that?"
"Tiger."
Her stomach sank in dismay. "I thought only humans became Twisted."
"And some mammals," Robar said in a rush. He pulled a pin on the grenade. "Trust me, you don't want to face them. Don't let it close or we are finished."
Her eyes widened as it drifted into view. The stripes had gone gray and black, and the cat’s features had been twisted into a more tapered snout. Its eyes glowed bright green as it released a blood chilling snarl. Then it lunged.
Robar opened up, but the giant cat dodged with a speed that defied belief. Bullets raked the ground in its wake, missing the streaking form by inches. Tess added her magic to his fire, and the cat was forced to dodge to the side and retreat.
The cat reappeared on the far flank, bursting into the open. Primed and ready, Robar flicked his grenade out, and the sudden detonation sent the cat shrieking to the side. Tess blasted it with fire, and it came through with singed and burning fur. Undeterred, it darted toward their ledge.
In the same motion Robar dropped the empty shotgun and drew a pistol. He fired as fast as he could pull the trigger. The cat snarled, but did not retreat. Then Tess lifted the ground in front of it, and grabbed one of its paws in a claw curse. Caught by surprise, the tiger tumbled to a stop and rose hissing.
Robar grabbed another grenade with his free hand and pulled the pin with his teeth. Just as the great cat freed its paw, the grenade bounced onto its back. Robar caught Tess's arm and yanked her out of view as it detonated. They rose to find the cat still crawling toward them. Robar calmly retrieved his shotgun and reloaded several shells. Then he pointed the big muzzle at the cat and fired, ending its life.
Tess looked away, but turned back when the Twisted began to growl. Just as they surged into another assault Robar slapped his wrist. The
resulting explosion rocked the alcove and killed dozens, but did not stop them. Fiends screamed in pain and hate, and poured over the bodies of their torn companions. Slipping on the blood, they scrambled to reach Tess and Robar, sensing victory.
Tess cast every curse and spell she could think of. Rocks rose from the ground and smashed them, a tree reached its branches down to crush several, and the oxygen was sucked from the air. Still they drew closer.
"Any ideas?" Tess yelled as a pair bounded up the incline.
His answer was to shoot one in the face. She killed another with a piercing shard of ice. Robar then ripped a grenade from his side and tossed it into the milling horde. Then he threw another, and another. Blood and flesh geysered upward as he retreated to the back of the ledge. Grasping his last weapon, he loaded it as fast as he could.
Tess joined him, and crushed the ones that were climbing over the ledge. Backlit by the fires in the gap, their faces were twisted with hunger. Each died and tumbled away. Heedless of the danger, others took their place.
"Last mag!" he yelled, and racked the slide of a large pistol. Taking aim, he fired with precision. "When this runs dry I'll be down to knives."
"That's not going to stop them!" Tess had to shout over the din.
His face was grim and he didn't respond. In seconds his gun ran dry and he drew a knife. Stepping forward, he deftly sliced it across a creature’s throat and kicked him away. The next got closer, and clawed deep furrows into his arm before he killed it.
Tess was faring no better. Driven to Robar's side her magic was weaker still. Each curse lacked the power to kill the surging creatures, and merely tossed them away, singed but alive. She gasped as claws tore into her leg. The distraction allowed her attacker to drag her towards the ledge.
She retaliated at the same time Robar knifed its spine, allowing her to kick free. Despair sank into her gut as she forced herself to her feet. Desperately she shattered the edge of the ledge, sending shards of rock through the ones climbing it. The reprieve was temporary. There were too many.
Then suddenly the attack slowed. Shrieks of victory became cries of pain as the ones exiting the Dark were slain. A glint of steel flashed in the gloom, indicating that someone else had joined the fray.
Hope rekindled her waning strength, and Tess sent a surge of power into the nearest foes. Knocked from the ledge, they fell into the tumultuous battle. None took their place. Robar knelt next to his torn bag and searched for additional ammo. Apparently finding more shells for his shotgun, he began loading them as he stepped to her side.
She felt a rush of relief as their unknown allies cut the remainder down, their swords blurring through flesh. Then she got a good look at them, and confusion swept over her. About her height and trim of figure, their skin was the color of polished fog, while their eyes were black. Dressed in dark, form fitting armor, they fought with fluidity and grace. Fierce and lethal, they cut through the powerful fiends like they were wheat to be harvested.
"What are they?" she asked.
Robar issued a grunt. "Dark elves."
She threw him a look. "What brought them here?"
"They certainly didn't come for me."
The last fiend went down under a coordinated assault from a trio of strikes. Then the dark elves separated. By unspoken order most of them returned to the edge of the gap and took up defensive positions. Three approached the ledge and leapt up to join them, their motions agile and light. Robar kept his gun pointed down, but did not take his finger off the trigger. Tess couldn't blame him. Each of the dark elves bore weapons stained with the blood of numerous kills.
"You are the oracle, I presume?" the woman in the front asked.
She nodded. "Tess."
Her fascination for their appearance was overshadowed by the elf's voice. Her tone was light, as if she were out for a morning stroll rather than just having waded through a bloodbath. Lilting and melodic, her accent was unlike any she'd ever heard. The intensity of her gaze made Tess want to flinch.
"I am Shirrilis," she said. "We were sent to find your body. I did not expect to find you alive."
"Robar here repels the Dark in the vicinity."
The elf’s gaze flicked to him and back to her. "Then we owe him a debt of gratitude. In such troubling times an oracle is much needed."
"Who sent you?"
"We came at the request of the Ancient."
She had a flash of insight. "Hawk?"
"As you say."
"But what if I'd become part of the Dark?"
The elf beside her flicked his sword, causing Tess to swallow. The motion spoke volumes.
Then you would be dead.
Chapter 4: The Warden
"I need to get home," Tess insisted.
"It is not possible," Shirrilis said. "The Dark stretches for thousands of miles in every direction, and these creatures are seeking you out."
"How do you know they are coming for her?" Robar asked. He kicked one of the Twisted corpses.
"A hunter recognizes another hunter," one of the dark elves said. His gaze slid off Tess, amplifying the scorn in his voice. "The hunted does not."
"Alice must be searching for me," Tess said, annoyed at his tone.
"They will find you," Shirrilis said. "Your only place of safety is to come with us."
"To where?"
"Elsurund," she replied. "Our homeland."
"You want me to go underground?"
"The Dark does not penetrate beneath," she said. "And the city connects to many forgotten paths."
"How far underground?" Tess hedged.
"The city lies well beneath and to the northeast of here."
"I need to get back to Auroraq," she said uneasily.
The elf’s eyes tightened. "Your only route to safely lies with us, and we are not permitted to guide you out of the cloud. My queen has also requested your presence, if we were to find you alive. Do you not think that you are the oracle to us as well as the surface races?"
Tess shouldn't have been surprised, but she was. The dark elf's tone was mild, but it carried an implicit challenge. The implication was clear. Shirrilis had been ordered to bring her back if she found her.
"It appears I have no other option," Tess said.
Shirrilis flashed a smile. "There's a cave not far from here that we can use to go beneath."
Tess turned to Robar. "What about you? Once I'm underground you won't have to stay next to me. You've saved my life more times than I can count already."
Robar didn't answer for long enough that she doubted he'd heard her. Then his gaze flicked between Shirrilis and Tess.
"I think I'll stick with you. I've been trying to get ahead of this thing for a couple of weeks now, and I'm not inclined to keep fighting my way out. You seem to be my best bet of getting out of here."
His gaze lingered on Shirrilis, and Tess saw suspicion there. She echoed the sentiment, and so felt a wave of relief that he would stay with her. She didn't want to admit it, but going underground with a group of dark elves was disturbing enough without having to do it alone.
She turned to the dark elves. "Lead the way."
Shirrilis didn't seem pleased that Robar had decided to join them, but she turned and made a motion to the others. They darted into position, forming an oval around Robar and Tess. They set off together, their weapons out. Their caution was warning enough, so Tess remained silent as they traversed the rough terrain.
Several times she heard the shuffling sounds of the Twisted, but Shirrilis managed to guide them past without incident. Tess listened with mounting fear, wondering if they would notice their passage. Half an hour passed, and then an hour. They continued to work their way east. After another hour Tess began to question the dark elf's definition of "not far".
Just when she was about to speak up the group came to a halt, and Shirrilis approached a nondescript boulder that lay adjacent to a small hill. Its only distinguishing feature was an oblong protrusion near the top that resembled a fac
e pressing out of the stone. Shirrilis caressed the boulder, and then retreated as it began to change shape.
Hands and arms came from within as the face pressed all the way out. The boulder shrank from the sides, drawing from its bulk to create the rest of the body and legs. Unyielding rock took on the appearance of satiny skin, supple clothing, and bright, intelligent features.
Shirrilis offered a short bow, and said, "Warden of beneath, we seek passage into our home."
At twenty feet in height the warden peered down on her. "My vision is clouded, yet your voice is known to me. You may pass."
Shirrilis bowed again and led the way into the cave that appeared when the warden stepped aside. One by one the group followed and passed under the warden's intense gaze. Tess looked at it in wonder. The enchantment was very much like an entity, and yet there was an intelligence about it that went beyond. Then she realized that the stone was actually semi-liquid in nature, not solid. What sort of enchantment had made it, and how had it withstood the Dark?
—the warden crouched and seized Robar. Lifting him off the ground she peered at him, and then issued a snarl that sent a shiver of ice through Tess's blood.
"Aurens are forbidden beneath," she said.
Robar had drawn his shotgun and pointed it at the warden. Shirrilis darted back to the entrance and stopped him with a word.
"Don't," she snapped. "You'll get us all killed."
"What do you expect me to do," Robar growled, but he didn't fire.
Shirrilis bowed to the warden. "This one is permitted to pass."
"On whose authority?" the warden said. "Know that honesty will be present in your voice, and dishonesty will be punished." The warning carried the threat of violence.
"Perhaps it would be better if he remained above," Shirrilis said, "until such time that the one with authority can arrive."
"He has attempted entry. His crime is committed. Speak the name of the person who has given authority for him to enter, or suffer his fate a well."
