Deathsworn Arc: 02 - The Verkreath Horror

by Martyn Stanley

  Korhan pulled his face uneasily. “Animals?”

  Brael shrugged. “Yes animals, we are all, dwarves, elves, humans, gravians - all animals.”

  “That is not what is written in the book of creation.”

  “It may not be, but I have read the book of creation many times, and I have looked, physically looked at exactly how creatures function and what they are made of. The longer and harder you look at the two sources of information, the harder it becomes to accept a book written in ancient times, over what you can actually see with your own eyes and test, and use to predict how things will work accurately.”

  “You are questioning Orion’s word?”

  “No, Orion did not write, ‘the book of creation’.”

  “Then who-”

  “Enough Avil, this is not the time. Go back to your tasks, leave me in peace.”

  The rest of the group had been subtly eavesdropping on Brael as he talked to Korhan. To each and all of them it was unsettling talk. Belief that Orion, the Master Creator made the world and all life was more or less a given throughout Torea and beyond. The book of creation was considered to have been dictated directly from Orion, even though their understanding of ‘the truth’ could be set upon the head of a pin at this stage, they were all beginning to understand how this whole new way of looking at the world could be damaging.

  As they trekked silently through the tunnel Votrex, who had also been listening to the conversations regarding the truth was feeling a little unsettled. He whispered over his shoulder to his passenger. “Tell, me these things are not true?”

  Elira gave out a short laboured laugh. “If only I could tell you were correct. The fact is when Brael Truthseeker presented his findings to the upper echelons of gravian society they didn’t accept it as true. Of course he went to great lengths to prove his findings were correct, people’s beliefs are difficult to break, regardless of how much evidence there is to the contrary. I think for that reason, it is all the more devastating when your beliefs are destroyed. Was he right? In his findings, yes, but to reveal them, then forcibly prove them - that I am not so sure of.”

  “Why do you think he revealed his ‘findings’ do you think he did not realise how damaging they would be?”

  “Possibly, possibly he didn’t ‘think’ about the consequences of his actions. I suspect the reality is simply that he’d spent many decades ‘investigating’ and to look at his research and decide, despite being accurate and the true ‘way of things’ it was too dangerous to unleash... Maybe he simply couldn’t face it? Maybe he truly believes the civilisations of the world would be better off if they knew ‘the truth’, in that he could be correct, simply in gravian society lots of blood has been spilled over religion. There is still blood being spilled today between the followers of Ishar and the Saki, those who believe Moadheb was Orion’s last emissary.”

  Votrex shrugged. “Civilisations will always go to war with each other, with either weapons, or finances, or words, as will people. Unfortunately tis the way of the world. As soon as a people find peace and harmony they are ripe for a tyrant to overcome them, through some means or other.”

  “Very true Votrex, unfortunate but true. When nations are not at each others throats, often enough, internal conflicts, within nations arise. Why is it intelligent beings cannot simply learn to cooperate and work together for a common good?”

  She didn’t wait for an answer, she simply sighed deeply. “Leave me be dwarf, I am tired and sore and not in the mood for chatting.”

  “Aye, we should start looking for potential exits soon.”

  The group trudged on the gloom in silence. Occasionally they had to circumnavigate partially collapsed walls and ceilings, or edge around broken floor which had collapsed into sink holes. One of which had lights at the bottom, it was too far down to identify the species but there were beings down there near the bottom of the deep vertical tunnel, dwarves? Gravians? It was possible, but it seemed more likely they were Verkreath.

  Along the way they stopped for water on several occasions, and nibbled their meagre provisions. They remained thirsty and hungry after every rest break. Every rest break they partook of less food and less water.

  After seemingly miles of tunnels Vashni held her arm to signal the group to stop. “Halt! I hear... Verkreath, ahead, some way ahead at the moment. We should be prepared to fight.”

  Korhan peered down the pitch black tunnel. “Should we turn back?”

  Votrex stepped forwards now. “No, there should be an exit soon - if we turn back we could end up sandwiched between the Verkreath heading north and our pursuers, who am I sure will be on our tail by now. Besides, the Verkreath to the south probably are not looking for us, but simply travelling in this direction - against them we may have an element of surprise. We should endeavour to meet them first.”

  Brael nodded. “I agree, we should press on with haste, there should be an exit soon, or at least another branch of tunnel we can take to avoid them. If we cannot - at least they will not be expecting us.”

  So the warriors pressed on with a renewed haste. As they sped up Elira called to Vashni. “Elf, I could use your sharp ears, I believe our pursuers are onto our trail.”

  Vashni started jogging to the back of the group, while as a group they pressed on hard. “Keep moving! Do not slow down!” Once at the rear she listened carefully. “Shhhh, everyone stop for a second... Hmmph! The gravian is right, we are being pursued, I know not whether they made their way up the flue, or through another route but a large host of Verkreath are marching this way at speed!”

  Votrex grimaced. “Blast it! We’ll be sandwiched!”

  Saul shook his head. “Press on! I would prefer to meet the host to the South first, then re-group before our pursuers catch up!”

  Korhan cried out. “Agreed! Move!”

  So they quickened their pace again. They were all tired, thirsty, hungry, sleep deprived and sore from their earlier battle.

  As they almost charged down the tunnel, they rounded a corner and saw a visible shaft of light beaming down from the surface. Vasni shielded her eyes and gasped. “Daylight! An exit!”

  They scurried forth to find a bell shaped chamber with a deep looking pool of water, which was it was possible to edge around on a narrow ledge. Up above, well over ten feet above the surface of the water, a smooth round shaft went straight up. The bottom of the shaft looked a long way up. Brael shielded his eyes from the bright light and looked up. “Is this the best we can do for an exit Votrex?”

  Votrex, stepped up to the edge of the pool, shielded his eyes and looked up. “Aye. It’s a well. These sort of tunnels were often built through wells, or had wells built at them, to send and receive messages with the surface, service the settlement above with water, and to provide travelling dwarves with a place to refill their flasks.”

  Brael looked to Saul. “Can you muster a levitation spell wizard?”

  Saul shook his head, he was swaying slightly and panting from exertion. Attempting a spell in this state could make him pass out.

  Vashni looked up, and pondered for a moment. “If you can get me up into the shaft, I believe I can climb the rest of the way using an elvish technique - we call the jumping spider.”

  Votrex looked dumbfounded at her. “There’s no hand holds!”

  “That is true dwarf, but I shall not need them. Get me up there and I can spread my arms and legs and allow downward pressure to become outward pressure, then I can jump, and jump with my arms and legs to reach the surface - then I can lower the bucket on a rope and you can all climb it.”

  Korhan looked up, looked like a long way. “That shaft is nearly twenty feet up! Can you jump that high?”

  As he spoke he realised he could hear the snarling and shuffling echoing down the tunnels, they didn’t have much time.

  Vashni pointed to Votrex, Brael and Korhan. “Get as close the edge of the water as you can, I want you to be as close to directly beneath the shaft as possible. Good, no
w form a triangle, facing each other. Now cross your arms, Votrex, hold one of Brael’s wrists and one of Korhans - now Korhan hold Braels other wrist with your spare hand, good.”

  They were standing on the very edge of the pool which the well would dip into, when the bucket was lowered. Vashni pulled her cloak off, stowing it in her small pack and handed it to Korhan who slung it over his shoulder with his own pack, before clipping her rapier to her belt. She then leapt into the air and landed on their arms. She was surprisingly light. There was a time, when Votrex wouldn’t have trusted her to lower the bucket, but hardship and death had bound them together. Elira was hanging out over the water now. “Take care dwarf, if you fall on your back into the water I shall drown.”

  “Do not worry lass, I shall not fall.”

  Vashni crouched down low. “Now, bounce me a couple of of times, allow your arms to drop low and yourselves to become close. On the third bounce, throw yourselves back, away from each other and grip tightly. On my count. One. Two. Three!”

  They bounced her on Vashni’s count, on the third count they threw themselves backwards and she pounced into the air, up and forwards. It looked like she wouldn’t make it at first, but as her hands slapped the far side of the shaft, her back arched and her legs curled up behind her, allowing her toes to just, just enter the shaft. She performed a couple of quick spider jumps using hands and feet, getting her body into a position where gravity was pulling her down but her locked joints allowed the downward force to be transformed into horizontal force.

  Brael looked up, seeing Vashni’s spreadeagled shadow filling the shaft . “Vashni, are you alright?”

  “Yes, Brael, I just need to get my breath back and make my way to the top. I may have to stop to rest once or twice.”

  “Hurry! The Verkreath are getting closer!”

  She looked down, she could see the pool of water far below her. There were no hand holds, the round sides of the shaft were smooth, except the the occasional element of minor damage, perhaps a cracked brick, or a section where the mortar had come loose. She began making spider jumps, spread-eagled across the shaft, her slender sword swinging to and fro as she jumped. Bending her elbows and knees and thrusting herself upwards, she made little jumps, catching herself and holding her position by allowing gravity to transfer down her limbs into horizontal force, locking her against the sides of the well shaft. Every jump sapped her energy, after a few jumps she slipped, just managing to save herself and losing several feet.

  The warriors saw a trail of dust and debris sprinkle from the shaft into the water. The Verkreath were close now.

  Brael grabbed Saul’s shoulder. “Cast a spell! Collapse the tunnels!”

  Saul rolled his sleeves back and thrust his staff down the tunnel ahead of them. “Fir§a mamirxic §osh!”

  As the magic missile left his staff, he felt a rush of cold enter him as energy left his body . He was exhausted, he’d expended too much energy and it showed. Instead of a bright flash of destructive energy, a thin streak of white, surrounded by red cannoned down the corridor. He sagged a little too, it struck the ceiling of the tunnel, dislodging some dust and debris and illuminating the now slowing mass of fur, teeth and weapons.

  Vashni heard the cries and the clang of steel on steel below her and quickened her pace. Spider jumping vertically was exhausting and she was already exhausted. Her muscles in her arms and legs were burning, her hands were rough and sore. Yet she quickened her pace. Her former disdain for humans, dwarves, more or less anyone, had diminished somewhat. The challenges they had faced together meant she cared about the welfare of her companions. Partly because she felt they cared about hers. It was funny, but after spending decades amongst humans, and generally feeling discriminated against and untrusted, now, in this band of misfits she felt genuine companionship. It looked a long way down now, she could tell she was getting closer.

  Back in the warren, the battle had started. The Verkreath had burst from the tunnel ahead of them. Korhan and Brael had made a stand, with Votrex dispatching the few who made it through Brael and Korhan. Saul, tired though he was, was reduced to thrusting the butt of his staff into the heads of the attacking rat men, either injuring them or distracting them sufficiently for Brael or Korhan to despatch them.

  Fortunately, despite their tiredness, Korhan, Brael and Votrex, and to a lesser extent Saul - seemed to have the upper hand. It helped that the tunnel the Verkreath were emerging from was cramped and narrower than the bell shaped chamber with the pool in it and the Verkreath corpses piling up at the entrance encumbered them further still. Nevertheless, by the time the first few Verkreath had been slain or maimed, so they were reduced to clutching their wounds and snarling as they pushed their way back, away from the front line of the battle - Korhan and Brael had taken wounds. Korhan a bruise on his head from the flat edge of a Verkreath blade which he’d failed to parry properly and a gushing wound on the torso, where having impaled his first opponent on harbinger, a second opponent had attacked before he could free his weapon. Brael had taken a slash to the shoulder, and a bite where he’d tried to use his arm to push an attacker back, only to have them sink their teeth into his flesh.

  As they fought on Saul heard a clatter behind them and looked over his shoulder. “They’re coming from the other side too! We’re sandwiched!”

  Votrex swung his axe a final time, almost cleaving a charging Verkreath’s skull in half. He pulled it free and grabbed Saul’s shoulder. “Come on! We’ll cover the other entrance!”

  Again, as Votrex turned his back a Verkreath pounced at him, expecting to attack his unprotected back, only to find Elira there thrusting her blade at it’s face with all her strength, stabbing through it’s throat and out of the back of it’s neck.

  Vashni by this stage could smell fresh air, could almost feel the breeze on her back. Her hands were now damaged, bleeding and cut from the walls, her muscles were drained, every movement was a labour, every jump took a mountain of will-power to perform, but she was nearly there..

  Votrex and Saul circled the pool just in time. The first Verkreath were through. Though Saul’s staff was blunt, it gave him great reach and he struck with precision, Votrex charged into the horde like a dwarven mincing machine, axe swinging left, then right in quick succession. He took hits himself, but he seemed capable of ignoring pain. He was thinking about the tanned dwarf hides hanging at the entrance to the dwelling where they’d found Elira, the dwarves in the Verkreath’s ‘living larder’, and he was angry. Attempts to block his strikes were futile, the blades of the Verkreath being brushed aside as if they were not there. The look in his eyes was one of pure rage and hatred, every swing, every strike, was fuelled with a burning hatred that had been brewing since they’d entered Beren’Gedt Holt.

  As he fought an arrow, unleashed from further down the tunnel sailed over the heads of the Verkreath and buried itself in his shoulder - he barely slowed down.

  Muscles burning, hands scraped to a bloody mess, Vashni finally felt her jump take her to the edge of the well. She gave a mighty last jump and rolled onto the ground. She took a few deep breaths, trying desperately to get some oxygen into her lungs, then stood and staggered back to the well. Sure enough there was a bucket on a rope with a handle and a winder. The rope looked frayed and old. Without even taking in her surroundings she grabbed the winder and started lowering the bucket, calling down the well. “I’m lowering the bucket! The rope does not look strong, you should climb one at a time!”

  Her wrecked hands were quivering with pain as she wound the heavy iron handle. Her muscles were still recovering from the climb, yet still she asked more of them. As she wound she glanced around to see where they had emerged. It was difficult to tell what time of day it was. It was not bright, but over-cast, they were at what appeared to be an abandoned settlement somewhere in a forest. Stone bungalows were dotted about, their roofs’ were in a state of disrepair and the track which led into the village centre looked overgrown and untidy. It was a welco
me change from the horrors of the Warren and Beren’Gedt Holt. It was also a preferred surrounding than the cursed town ‘Strak’ from whence they’d fled in the first place.

  As she wound the handle, she wondered how many of her companions would make the climb, the battle had clearly started while she was climbing, it seemed unlikely they would all escape unscathed.

  Saul was frantically smashing the butt of his staff into the mass of fur at head height when he heard the splash of the bucket hitting the water behind them. Votrex growled at him. “Go wizard! Get going!”

  Saul looked to Korhan and Brael, who had been forced to fall back allowing Verkreath to spill through onto the narrow ledge, some over-balancing and falling into the water. They were slowing, they were covered in blood.

  It looked like they were running on distilled adrenalin at this stage, their energy reserves running almost dry. Brael was obviously suffering with the gushing wound on his arm, and he’d taken a slash to his calf at some stage. Korhan had somehow had his nose broken, his face was covered in blood and he’d clearly had to wipe his own blood from his eyes on at least one occasion. The trouble was, they were all clearly greater warriors than he, and he had to get the heart stones back to the empress. With one last thrust of his staff he hurled his staff into the mass and jumped into the the water, landing in it up to his waist, then he started the long climb. His robes encumbered his climb somewhat, the first few feet were the hardest, the vertical climb to the shaft, then he found himself able to use the wall of the shaft in places for purchase. He still had rope burns on his hands and his arms were ready to cave in as he exited the top of the well, rolling onto the grass.