It took a bit of maneuvering on the narrow ledge but we managed to turn around and head back the way we came. I had no idea what to do. The main tunnels led out into the ocean from a cliff face. I had seen it a number of times. It was also a popular sight after a rainstorm to watch the water pour out.
I kept going straight and was heading north from where we had turned off before. We came to another intersection and I looked around. There on the corner of the passage was a mark on the stone. It had faded quite a bit, but I remembered it.
I turned around to look at everyone. “We are going to head to the lower levels. My hope is to find a way out of the city through them. There are monsters down there so be ready.”
“Monsters…” Galric said. Fear was etched into his face.
“Just focus on defending. I can easily kill anything we run into. Don’t panic and run away. That is how you die.” I turned around and made a turn to my right to head down the tunnel.
The side passage to the lower levels had been walled up since the last time I was here. I kicked it once and the wall crumbled easily enough to reveal the passage behind it. It took a bit but soon it was wide enough to enter. “Watch where you step and don’t fall.” We entered and made our way downwards.
I never expected to come back here. It was just like I remembered. The sloped downwards ramp and then the mossy tunnel. I didn’t see the corpses from before or any bones. Clearly something else had come and taken the remains and it probably wasn’t human. The main question was if I should lead us up or down.
Up would probably take us under the Duke’s castle which was where the undead were going. Down would lead to the ocean. Decision made, I turned right to head downwards. We traveled through the damp moss covered tunnel. I was at full alert scanning everything and anything with my sword at the ready and slow at the tip of my tongue.
I made sure to look up as well. If there was anything else down here besides blind small kobalds it would be an ambush predator. Probably from the ceiling where the other monsters would have a harder time sensing it. We came to an intersection. “Stay back, this is a good ambush point.”
Everyone else stopped as I advanced. Three kobalds from each side passage rushed at me. Compared to their cousins from the Jockel swamp these things were puny and had no equipment. I rushed the group on my left. I cut the first one down and then cast slow on the other two. I spun around and deflected a crude club.
“Slow, slow.” Two more kobalds lost their heads. The last one tried to run but I stabbed it down and through its chest. It slid off my sword with a gurgle. Another stab finished it off. Looking down both side passages I didn’t see any other kobalds or other monsters. “Come on, this way.”
I could see the worry, fear, shock, and a number of other emotions rush across all their faces. There were definitely grimaces as they went by the corpses. We all felt the ground shake again and some dirt rained down from the ceiling. “Keep calm, we need to keep moving.”
The tunnel kept heading downwards. There were more turn offs but no more ambushes or any other monsters. The tunnel finally came to a dead end that was just water. “Going to go to the last intersection and then head south.” There were some whispers but I ignored them and kept going forward.
At the last intersection we passed there was a group of monsters. I counted seventeen kobald and leading them was a gnoll. Unlike the kobalds its eyes were not milky white. It also had a proper sword unlike the kobalds who only had bone weapons.
“No fear, we are going to survive.” I said. I made sure to keep my attention on the monsters. “For Azalon!” I yelled out and charged forward. The blind kobalds rushed forward. “Slow.” I struck out and decapitated one of them. “Slow.” I drew a long gash along another kobald’s stomach. It collapsed screaming.
A number of them rushed by me but there was nothing I could do. I killed one after another until I was in front of the gnoll. A gnoll was a large furred monster with the head of a dog and double jointed legs. “Slow.” The monster had been paying attention and was quick. It actually dodged my ability by leaping to the side.
I didn’t dare use bolt since that would hurt my family far more than the blind kobalds. It swung its blade and I blocked. The attack was heavy and I was pushed back. “Infuse lightning.” My blade sparked for a second and then the gnoll let out a howl and staggered back as the mana traveled between the blades. I didn’t give it time to recover. “Slow.” I struck out and cut across its unprotected throat.
It collapsed to the ground choking on its own blood. I moved away from the soon to be corpse and saw that all was not well. Rothgar had a nasty gash along his side and my father was bruised. At least they managed to kill the kobalds, five of them. I went into my pack and pulled out two health potions and handed them over.
“Drink, quickly.” They both did. While the wounds disappeared, Rothgar looked unsteady.
“Thanks.” Father said.
“We are not out of this yet and my mana is very low. We need to get moving.” I was out of mana actually, which was far worse. My sword skills weren’t anything impressive. It was only the Chant of Time that allowed me so many easy victories.
Everyone moved out and I took the lead once again as we moved through the tunnels. We came to an intersection and I scouted out the other tunnels. I saw a number of other people looking at me in surprise.
“Who goes there?” One of the men from the other group called out.
“Edward Monteger, who are you.” There was a moment of silence as there was some shuffling about.
“I am Knight Sinclair Albetross.” There was a moment of silence.
“I would hope that we can escape the city together?” I asked. The knight looked conflicted on how to answer that. “I am a mage and an adventurer. My family is with me, but I can hold my own in a fight. You are trying to leave the city right?” I asked.
“Yes.” My family had come up behind me after hearing a conversation rather than fighting. His face lost its grimace, probably from seeing the women and children. “You can travel with us.” I counted five other soldiers, another knight, and a small boy. They all had multiple light runes attached to them like we did. I also noted all the soldiers were carry very large and full packs.
“Thank you. I shall follow your lead.” I said and the knight nodded. He gave orders for three of his men and the other knight to take the rear. I stayed up front with Knight Sinclair as he made his way through the tunnels. I didn’t say anything, either he knew where he was going or we were no worse off than before. I also saw the relieved looks my family had from the other group’s presence.
We reached a dead end and I looked over at the knight. He began scraping the moss off the wall. I assisted him looking for a lever or a latch of some sort. “What about this?” I said. There appeared to be a handle in the stone wall.
“Yes, good job.” He reached over and grabbed the stone block. He then twisted it as hard as he could and then pulled it out. He let the stone cylinder he had pulled free drop off to the side. There was a moment of stillness before the wall in front of us slowly began to drop into the ground. It got half way down and then stopped. I looked over it and into the dry stone tunnel beyond.
“All clear.” I climbed over and looked around. It was just a tunnel and nothing else interesting about it. Everyone began to make their way over. For both the knights in plate armor it was especially cumbersome. Once everyone was over we continued up the passage.
“Where does this lead?” I asked.
“South of the city to a small outpost.” Knight Sinclair said. We continued along the passage until we reached another stone wall, this time without moss. The knight pulled out another stone cylinder and this time the wall sunk fully to the ground. We entered what appeared to be a cellar of some sort.
“This place stinks of death and the supplies here are untouched.” I whispered. The knight drew his blade. “Quiet.” I hissed out and everyone went silent. I heard movement from above and po
inted upwards. The knight’s face went back into a grimace.
“You two stay here and protect him and the civilians.” He told two of the soldiers and gestured at the child they were guarding. “The rest of you with me.” I followed behind the knight as he climbed up the stone steps. He opened the door and charged out sword at the ready.
I followed behind him and was confronted with a number of corpses, just like Goldtown. “For Azalon!” The knight roared and decapitated two of the corpses with a single sweep of his blade. If I wasn’t fighting a corpse myself I would have stopped to stare in awe.
The knight swept through the room quickly killing or re-killing the undead that were in the building. With the last one dead and unmoving I followed the kight to the top of the watch tower. We both looked at Azalon in the distance. I could see fire burning a large portion of the city. The bone dragon from before was perched on top of the Duke’s former castle at the top of the hill.
“So Azalon is no more.” I whispered in reference to a quote that Phillius had made. The bone dragon lifted its massive head and looked at us despite the great distance. It then settled back down. I let out a long sigh. The second greatest city in the Kingdom of Aurulian had been lost.
While I knew escaping the city had been hard it meant nothing for what was to come. With the loss of Azalon and the Royal Army the kingdom would crumble. It wouldn’t fall unless Antioch did, but there were forces on the outside like the kobalds from the swamp that would take the outer towns.
I turned to leave but Knight Sinclair was still staring at Azalon. “There is nothing we can do.”
“But we live to see another day as the sun rises once more.” I looked at him in surprise as he finished the quote I had started before. “I am well versed in the works of Phillius.”
We both kept staring at Azalon. I knew we should get going but Knight Sinclair kept watching. Not watching, he was waiting. The ground shook and kept shaking. “What is happening?” I asked.
The knight did not answer. I looked back at the city just in time to see the top of it explode. The explosion consumed the bone dragon, the Duke’s castle, and a large chunk of the hill Azalon rested on. Fire and rubble exploded outwards enveloping the entire city and even going outside the walls.
“A trap for a monster.” The knight turned away and went back down into the watch tower. I lingered for a moment. Looking at the smoking crater that used to be my home before following the knight. I was still alive and tomorrow the sun would rise once more.
Adventures of a Scribe Page 29
