The High Council

by Victor Kloss

  “There may be another option,” Krobeg offered slowly, stroking his silver beard. “We can keep fighting our way along ledges and over ravines and the like, constantly worrying if dark elves will descend upon us, or we can go to the last place they would ever consider, the one place they would never dare check.” He frowned and stomped one foot. “Here.”

  This time it was Natalie who caught on first. “You want us to go underground?” she asked with a shiver. “No way!”

  Abigail was not so quick to dismiss the idea. “Dark elves don’t like being below ground,” she agreed slowly. “So they wouldn’t want to follow us down there or patrol there either. That could work.” But she shook her head. “Though I’m not wild about the idea, either.”

  “What do you mean, exactly?” Ben asked the dwarf. “Are there tunnels beneath us? Caverns? How do you know?”

  “Dwarves know about such things,” Krobeg replied, tapping his nose with one finger and winking. Then he laughed. “Plus I’ve heard rumours that there were tunnels here once, and that my kin mined them for gold and jewels. Suktar kicked all the dwarves off Erellia, and slaughtered those who wouldn’t leave, but the tunnels themselves should still be there.”

  Ben turned to Dagmar. “What do the boots say about the tunnels?” he asked.

  But she shook her head. “It isn’t like that,” she explained in her usual matter-of-fact tone. “I can see a path to the tunnels, and at least part of the way through them, but that’s it.” She shrugged. “Whether we take that route or go some other way is entirely up to us.”

  “Huh.”

  Ben considered their options. Continue on the way they had been going, with dark elves and bloody birds and giant wolves popping up from all sides, and the constant threat of being utterly overrun, or go underground, trusting that these tunnels were still there and still useable and not infested with more dark elves — or something worse.

  Finally, he spoke up. “I don’t see a lot of downsides to trying it,” he suggested. “If we can’t get to the tunnels or there’s something wrong under there, we come back up and keep going the way we have been. But if they do work, they’d save us a ton of time.”

  A loud crack overhead made them all glance up, and Ben saw that the patch of sky had turned dark, but not from a hovering black dragon this time. Instead there were thick, heavy grey clouds massing and blotting out the sun. The crack had been thunder; Ben shut his eyes as another bolt of lightning lit up the sky.

  Thunder and lightning. That meant a storm, and from the look of things it was all but here already. It certainly made their decision easier, because traipsing around in a downpour wasn’t going to help them with anything.

  “Okay,” he told Krobeg. “We’ll give these tunnels a try. But I want you out front with Dagmar. She’ll find us the way in, and through, but you are our expert on the underground, so I’ll want you up there to make sure everything is safe.”

  The dwarven chef nodded, leaping to his feet and slamming one beefy hand against his chest in salute. “Absolutely. I will lead you through safely!” he promised.

  Ben hoped his friend was right. He wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being cut off from the air and sky, but if it got them there more quickly and more safely, he was all for that.

  With any luck, on the way back they wouldn’t have to worry about being spotted. Either that, a dark voice inside his head pointed out, or you’ll be beyond caring.

  — Chapter Seventeen —

  A Secret Meeting

  They did not make it into the tunnels before the storm hit.

  One minute they were trudging along behind Dagmar and Krobeg, squinting to see through the darkness that had descended so heavily upon them and gasping for breath both from their exertions and because the air had become so moist and thick it was like walking through fog; the next there was a sudden rushing sound and then sheets of rain fell upon them, nearly driving the Guardians to the ground with the force of each raindrop. Ben could barely see, and had to constantly use his hands to wipe streams of water from his eyes. He could barely hear over the rain, which was why Krobeg had to lean in close and practically shout in his ear.

  “We found a way in!”

  Ben gave a thumbs-up and followed the dwarf up a short, rough incline. Dagmar stood at the top, completely soaked but her face showing no sign of discomfort. When he reached her she gestured just to the right of where she stood, and Ben saw that the rock there had split. Beneath its low overhang was nothing but darkness.

  “You’re sure this is a tunnel and not just a hole?” he yelled.

  Krobeg nodded. “They’re tunnels!” the dwarf promised. “Come on!” And, without even a second’s hesitation, he ducked under the overhang and leaped feet first through the hole, disappearing from view.

  Ben shook his head. This seemed crazy, not to mention dangerous, but he trusted his fellow Guardians, and Dagmar hadn’t objected. Besides, they needed to get out of this rain! So he sighed, wiped more water from his face, and slid down and into the hole. There he dangled his legs for a few seconds before finally pushing off and allowing himself to fall.

  He tried to keep his body relaxed but ready, since he had no idea how far the drop would be or what was awaiting him at the other end. It felt like he was falling forever, but Ben knew it was probably only a few seconds before his feet slammed into something solid. He tried to keep his feet, but the impact jolted him too badly and he toppled, landing hard.

  Well, at least that meant there was some sort of floor here.

  After quickly drawing his spellshooter, Ben fired it above his head. The tiny white glow that shot out rapidly expanded, becoming a glowing orb about the size of a football. It cast enough light that he could now see he was indeed standing in a tunnel, one with a flat, smoothly paved floor but arched ceilings. Fortunately, it was only twenty feet or so from the ceiling down. Ben could just make out the hole he had entered through, a slightly lighter patch against the dark all around, and he waved.

  “Come on down!” he shouted. “It’s about a twenty-foot drop!”

  “Understood” Dagmar called back. “Sending Josh now!”

  A second later Josh plummeted down from above. He had the advantage of being able to see where he was going, however, and he stuck the landing, quickly moving aside to make room for the next member of their group.

  “Not bad,” was all he said as he looked around.

  Abigail came next, then Charlie, then Natalie, and finally Dagmar.

  “Nice place you’ve got here,” Charlie commented as he dusted himself off. “Very ‘underground monster lair’.”

  Natalie had other concerns beside the décor. “We made it through just in time,” she explained as she caught her breath. “Those wolves were just starting to slink closer when I jumped. And they’re huge! As tall as Josh and as heavy as Krobeg, I think.” She shook her head. “They obviously figured they could handle just the two of us. They might have been right, too.”

  “Maybe, but you don’t have to worry about that now,” Ben assured her.

  Now he was doubly glad he’d decided to trust Krobeg’s instincts and try the tunnel route. Here they were at least warm and dry — once Dagmar had cleaned and dried all of them with a single spell — and did not have to worry about giant wolves and whatever else Erellia had in store for them.

  All they had to do now was survive these tunnels and figure out a way back out of them once they were as close to their destination as they could get.

  Ben doubted it would wind up being that easy. It never did.

  The first problem they had was light. Ben’s orb was bright enough for them to see in at least a twenty-foot circle, but after a few minutes it began to fade. He had a few more pellets of the same spell but didn’t want to use all of them up right away, just in case he needed them for something else later. It didn’t help that they had no idea how long they’d be underground or if it would always be this dark — or even darker.

  “I’ve got a f
ew light spells too,” Charlie assured him as they stood around taking stock. “One of them I picked because, though it’s not a ton of light, it lasts for a few hours.”

  “Nice.” Ben shook his head. “Yeah, all mine together won’t last that long.”

  Natalie and Dagmar both had light spells of some sort as well. Josh and Abigail did not. Krobeg didn’t carry a spellshooter at all, but he didn’t seem worried.

  “Dwarves have excellent night vision,” he explained. “For us a deep black pit is the same as a moonlit eve. I’ll be fine.”

  “You may be,” Josh shot back, “but the rest of us still have to see where we’re going.”

  “We’ll take turns casting light spells,” Ben decided, speaking to the other three who had brought such magic. “That way none of us has to use all of their light spells while the rest of us still have all of ours.” He looked at Dagmar. “Can you find us a way out of here?”

  She paused for a moment, seeming to get her bearings. “In honesty, I can perceive the general direction we need to go, but we might find ourselves in a tunnel that leads to a dead end. I can advise, but, Krobeg, I’d appreciate your help on this.”

  Krobeg nodded. “She’s right. Dwarven tunnels almost always follow a similar design, one that intentionally confuses any non-dwarves. If you let me know the direction you want to go, I can guide us there.”

  “Alright,” Ben stated loudly. “Krobeg, lead on.”

  The dwarf grinned and thumped Ben on the back, then turned and strode away down the tunnel. “This way!”

  Ben sighed and quickly followed, the rest falling in line behind him. But after a few paces Charlie slid to the side and then scurried to catch up to Ben.

  “So what are the chances he gets us completely and utterly lost?” Charlie asked softly.

  Ben laughed and glanced at his best friend. “I’d say at least fifty-fifty,” he admitted as quietly. “Just kidding. If there is anyone I’d want to lead me through dark underground tunnels, it would be a dwarf.”

  *

  Some time later, however, Ben started to get a bit concerned.

  “Any idea how much farther we have to go?”

  “Perhaps a mile, possibly two,” their guide answered. “Do not worry. I know exactly where we are in relation to the exit and how to best get us there and then out the other side.”

  They continued to trudge along behind the dwarf, several of the others munching on nuts, cheese and bread as they walked.

  After a few minutes the floor began to angle more steeply downwards.

  “This is the way out?” Josh called from back behind Charlie. “Are you sure?”

  “Of course I am.” Krobeg retorted. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

  “Because it looks like we’re going down instead of up,” Josh replied.

  “And so we are, for the moment,” the dwarf agreed. “But that will change. Be patient.”

  The floor continued to slope down. But now something else was changing, too. There seemed to be more ambient light, or perhaps just a really bright light source somewhere nearby. When the most recent light spell faded away, Ben was pleased to discover that he could now see, if a little dimly. The others were gasping with surprise and delight as well.

  Meanwhile, Krobeg was grumbling to himself. “These tall skinny humans think I don’t know my way around underground, do they?”

  The light continued to intensify, and after a few more minutes they not only didn’t need any more light spells but were having trouble seeing anything, especially fine details, because all around them was so bright.

  “Where is that light coming from?” Ben asked.

  No one had a good answer. He called a halt and turned to address them.

  “We’re not going to just walk into some area that could be inhabited, but it’s too dangerous to bypass it without knowing what’s in there. There’s only one way to find out. Charlie, Natalie, I need you to be my eyes and ears, like always. Let me know if you see anything over the next dip in the floor and stuff like that.” He studied his other friends. “Dagmar,” he said at last, “I’ll need you to keep using the boots to find us the safest way out of here. Abigail, keep an eye out, let me know if you pick up a hint of anything or anyone. Josh, Krobeg, be ready for trouble, just in case.”

  Everyone shifted gear and weapons, and adjusted stances and attitudes, preparing for the worst as Ben drew his spellshooter and edged forwards as quietly as he could, heading in the direction of the mysterious light.

  Natalie and Charlie had moved ahead of him and returned a moment or two later.

  “There’s a room up ahead,” Natalie reported. “At least, I think it’s a room. Maybe it’s just a convenient cavern. Either way, that’s the source of the light.”

  “It’s lit by what looks like your orb,” Charlie added, “only a dozen of them and each one’s like ten times brighter.” His eyes were nearly the size of an orb themselves as he continued. “And there are people there!”

  Ben frowned. “People? All the way down here?” He shook his head. It sounded crazy, but Natalie was nodding, too. What did it mean?

  “What are they doing?” Ben asked.

  “Talking, looks like,” Charlie answered. “We couldn’t hear what they were saying, though. We couldn’t hear anything.” He shrugged. “Must’ve been a spell.” They had often used a similar one back in Taecia when they’d wanted to talk about something without being overheard.

  Ben was especially curious now. A strange group meeting deep underground in Erellia and using magic to mask their conversation? He had to know what that was all about.

  “Okay, now we definitely need to check into this; something smells wrong, but I absolutely want to make sure we don’t get caught in a trap.” He looked at his friends and fellow Guardians. “Let’s split up. Natalie, Charlie and I will check out what’s going on. Krobeg and Dagmar, go on ahead and make sure we’re on the right track to get out of here. I don’t want to have to make a fast exit and end up at a dead end.” He turned to Joshua and Abigail, a plan forming in his mind. “You two scour the area and see if there are any traps or enemies around. And guys, I don’t want any of us — me included — to hare off and get into trouble. While we do need to find out what this is about, our objective is getting to Suktar.”

  Abigail was nodding. “I can use the helm to perceive traps, and with Joshua’s help to nullify them we can make sure the area is safe.”

  Joshua had a determined look in his eye. Ben felt a rush of pride. This little group was a real team now.

  “Go on ahead,” he instructed Dagmar and Krobeg. He nodded at Josh and Abigail. “Go with them at first, just so you know where we need to end up, then circle back.”

  Krobeg nodded and took a step closer to Natalie and Charlie. “I’ll tell you the way to go first,” he explained. “It’s simple enough. There is a large intersection a short way ahead. We shall meet you there.”

  The three of them conferred a moment before both Natalie and Charlie nodded that they understood. Then Krobeg saluted and turned away. He and Dagmar continued along the path they’d been following, with Josh and Abigail right behind them.

  Ben watched them go. He hated the idea of splitting up, but a part of him insisted that this strange new sighting was too important to ignore. He turned his attention to Natalie and Charlie.

  “Show me,” he instructed, and followed behind as they retraced their steps. Sure enough, the light grew brighter and brighter as the tunnel dipped and then ended at a tall arch. Beyond was a deep, bowl-shaped space, far too even to be natural. Just as Charlie had said, large glowing orbs hovered at intervals right where the walls ended and the vaulted ceiling began, making the room almost too bright to see into. But Ben could still make out the handful of figures conversing at the room’s centre. He couldn’t pick out details, but all of them looked to be adults, and even from here they exuded an aura of immense power. Whatever spell they had used for silence, it was not allowing a single sound to esca
pe.

  Ben stepped to one side, peering through the archway without standing directly before it, and he considered the strange scene. Most of the figures below did not look like elves, and he couldn’t imagine why Suktar would bother to hold a war council so far from his own castle, anyway. Who were they, then? They were clearly powerful, very much so, and they also took great pains not to be discovered.

  Then, beside him, Charlie gasped. “It’s the High Council.” he blurted out. “It’s got to be!”

  Ben knew at once his best friend must be right. Who else would be so powerful and so secretive?

  Considering the situation, Ben raised his spellshooter and concentrated on a small, swirled blue pellet.

  Charlie let out a hiss of fright. “Ben, what are you doing? What happened to your little speech back there about not getting into trouble?”

  Ben waved his friend back, shushing him. “That was back then; this is now. Things have changed.”

  Charlie was starting to freak out, his hands flapping at his sides. “Back then? It was all of sixty seconds ago!”

  Before Charlie could protest any more, Ben aimed at the air just beyond the archway, focused, and fired.

  The spell that emerged was no wider than the spellshooter’s own barrel, and it spun as it raced forwards, looking like a giant corkscrew made of air. When it struck the space past the archway it stopped advancing but continued to spin, and after a second Ben realised that nothing was happening. The spell finally dissipated, leaving no change where it had been focused. Charlie was practically dancing on the spot. “Okay great, that didn’t work. Let’s go!”

  Ben shook his head absently. There had to be a way to find out what they were discussing. This couldn’t be a coincidence. “Charlie, can you pause on panic-mode for a second and help me out? Using that spell was, in retrospect, unintelligent. These guys are the most powerful bunch of wizards in all of the Unseen Kingdoms. A little spell like that isn’t going to get me in, and I doubt anything I have will make a difference.”