“That’s… wait, is that possible?” Desa paused, spoon halfway to her mouth as she looked up. “I thought that you could see everything within your domain.”
“Sight like scrying,” Sistina said simply, shrugging. “Method unknown.”
“Hmm… Farlon? Care to give this one a try?” Desa asked, raising an eyebrow.
“At a guess, since her sight is similar to scrying, sufficiently powerful wards can hold her out. Is that right?” Farlon guessed, tilting his head at Sistina, who nodded, then he continued. “But the second part I’m not sure on.”
Sistina seemed to think, then nodded. “Translation. Method known like knowing language.”
“Oh! If you know how it’s done, you can see through it!” Farlon realized, smiling broadly. “That’s fascinating! So if someone tried building a ward to block scrying inside your domain, you could see through it because you knew how it was built.”
“Yes,” Sistina agreed, nodding in satisfaction. Then she pointed at her eyes and added, “Not scrying. Examine physically.”
“I see. Well, would you like some help?” Desa offered, taking a bite of her food and swallowing after taking a moment to savor it. “While Her Highness might not be able to go because of safety issues, I’m a fairly skilled mage. I’m also getting bored.”
“That isn’t fair, Desa. I’ve just never been given the chance to actually train in combat,” Phynis replied, sniffing as her eyes narrowed at Desa.
Desa didn’t miss the speculative look in Sistina’s eyes, but the dryad nodded after a moment. “Desa yes. Phynis no. Time… tomorrow. Dawn.”
“I’ll see you then, Sistina,” Desa replied, grinning now that she had some excitement ahead of her. “This should be interesting.”
“Keep her safe, Desa,” Phynis ordered, her eyes narrowing. “I want her back in one piece.”
“I will, Your Highness.” Desa sighed, shaking her head. She’d come to terms with Phynis’ decision, but she suspected that Her Majesty was not happy about the latest dispatch she’d sent her. They were both surprised, though, when Sistina shook her head.
“I protect Desa,” she said firmly, then pointed at herself. “Make body again.”
Then pointing at Desa, she added even more firmly, “Not replaceable.”
“Right, then. I guess I hide behind her.” Desa chuckled, amused at the thought.
“No, both of you be safe. I don’t want to hear about either of you getting hurt,” Phynis chided them as she tapped her foot in annoyance.
Desa suppressed the urge to laugh more as Sistina rolled her eyes and the dryad replied dryly, “Worrywart.”
Chapter 37
“I’ll admit that I expected this path to be a bit more level. Like the other ones you’ve made,” Desa told Sistina as she climbed down yet another rocky ledge.
“Company unanticipated,” Sistina replied calmly, extending a hand to help Desa down the rough surface.
“Alright, I suppose I can understand that,” Desa murmured, taking her hand and hopping down.
It was a long, nasty climb thus far. Desa wasn’t certain how far they’d descended at this point, but it was like they’d been dropping down the switchbacks of a rough mountain trail, but underground. Stone wasn’t nearly as forgiving as dirt either, and if Sistina hadn’t been there with a helping hand, Desa probably would have more than a few bruises and scrapes from the trip. The lack of a good light source didn’t help either, and the stone walls glimmered dully in the soft light of Desa’s orb. And here, unlike most of the areas she’d moved through, she could practically feel the full weight of the mountain above her head.
Heading down the next tunnel, Desa finally asked. “How much farther is this building?”
“Close.” Desa found Sistina’s reply lacking the detail to calm her nerves. The dryad spoke much less when Phynis wasn’t around, and curiosity prompted Desa to inquire about it.
“So why do you talk more when you’re around the princess, Sistina?” she asked, hopping over a large rock. “Is it just because she’s insistent about you learning to speak more easily? Or is there a reason you don’t like talking?”
Sistina didn’t reply for a minute, then finally spoke. “Complex. Words… focused. Phynis insistent, remembering words. Difficult. Fragmented. Breaks concentration. Adapting.”
“Huh.” Desa blinked, then shrugged. There were a number of ways that the explanation could be interpreted, but she thought she had the gist of it. So she asked a different question instead. “Well, how about this. Phynis loves you now, and doesn’t want it changed. But do you love her?”
Sistina stopped and turned to regard Desa for a minute. There was something distant about her eyes, but she didn’t speak for a long minute. When she did speak, Sistina’s voice was soft, and lacked the confidence that she normally exuded. “Uncertain. Am tree. Was… someone else. Trees not love. Now not tree, yet tree. Can love? Uncertain. Do not wish harm.”
“I… think I see. You just don’t know,” Desa decided to simplify. The last thing she wanted was for a genius loci to get into an existential crisis. So she tried a different tact instead. “In that case, would you hurt her? Do you enjoy her company?”
“Phynis fun. Protect,” Sistina spoke firmly, then smiled gently and pointed back at herself. “Not fun, boring.”
“I’m glad to hear you won’t hurt her,” Desa replied with a smile. “Let’s get going, though. I don’t want to spend too much time down here.”
“Yes.” Sistina moved onward, while Desa’s smile faded into a thoughtful expression.
Over the last few weeks she’d spent some time in the library herself. The books she’d been focusing on were primarily the simpler texts, but she’d been trying to learn about genius loci. And what she’d learned was both amazing and frightening. The creatures, for lack of a better term for what amounted to a gemstone with a soul, were immensely powerful within their own domains, and the dungeon currently known as the Great Labyrinth had existed even during the period of Everium. Dungeons of that power were said to possess the strength to rival even deities, but their power was restricted solely to their domain. The thing that truly worried her was that none of the texts even suggested that someone or something like Sistina could exist. A genius loci with a physical body which could talk wasn’t listed as a possibility in the half-dozen tomes she’d referenced. Some made magical contracts with mortals who communicated their wishes, but even that was absurdly rare.
So a large part of her wondered whether Sistina was a new type of genius loci, or something else entirely.
* * *
“That’s going to be ugly,” Joseph murmured, shaking his head as he sipped at his ale. He sat back in his chair on the porch of the newly christened Vine Tankard Tavern, watching the group of four men and two women psyching themselves up to enter the dungeon.
“Let’s see… a crap selection of weapons, hodge-podge armor, and who knows what type of secondary gear,” Darak replied as he refilled his mug of ale from the pitcher, eyeing the group critically. “I bet they were bandits before they came here. Nope. You couldn’t even get me to bet on how successful they’re going to be.”
“Pfft. I’d bet they’ll manage to clear a room or two,” Penelope countered, grinning at the pair.
“Why do you say that?” Darak challenged, gesturing at them. “They’re worse equipped than the local army boys, and they got chased out in the first couple of rooms!”
“Ah, but the army had no clue what they were dealing with. And we haven’t exactly been close-mouthed about what we encountered inside, now have we? Save for the rewards, of course,” Penelope countered, her smile broadening incrementally. “And I saw at least five of the new arrivals asking around about information last night, and not just members of that group either. Some of them have brains. I might tutor any survivors when I need a workout.”
“Fair enough. It’s your time, and the guild always needs new recruits,” Joseph conceded with a smirk. “In that ca
se, I’ll guess that we see, say, two of them again. Just don’t hurt them too badly if you train them, Penelope. If they’re scared to go outside they won’t be much use.”
“Still bet they’ll all be eaten,” Darak grunted, shaking his head. “Dungeons are no place for fools like that.”
“I’ll agree on the fools part. It’ll be interesting, at least,” Penelope conceded, watching the group of humans head into the first chamber. But then she winced at the confident expressions on their faces. “Or… maybe they thought that hearing about what’s in there would make everything easy. Yeah, if I train them I’m going to have to be gentle. Dammit.”
“Yup, going to be ugly in there,” Joseph muttered into his mug. Ah, to be young and an idiot again. Well, if any of them survived, it would teach them a valuable lesson. If they survived.
* * *
“Right. Everyone remember, Sayla and Francis are to deal with the vines, while you let me and Arnold attack the big bushes that we heard about,” Henry reminded the others, grinning to himself as they turned the first corner of the cave. “Eric, you watch for any big lugs with that spear of yours. Eileen, you’re looking for traps.”
A chorus of acknowledgements came back. Some of them were on the worried side, but they were holding up well. This was a lot less intimidating than a Kelvanis military caravan, that was for sure.
After a minute, Eric asked quietly, “Didn’t those soldiers get mauled when they came in here? You sure we’re going to be okay, boss?”
“Nah, we’ll be fine. They came in here without a clue. We actually gathered information. It’s just like ambushing a merchant, Eric,” Henry told him with a grin. “You go in with no clue what they’ve got, you’re gonna get hurt. But if you ask around and plan things out, you’ll be fine. This will go great, just wait and see. Sure as hell aren’t any Enforcers in this cave, which’ll make it a lot easier than what we’ve done.”
“Whatever you say, boss,” Eric replied dubiously, shrugging as he exchanged a worried look with Eileen, which Henry pretended not to notice.
* * *
“Is that it? Finally?” Desa asked as they stepped around a corner to see only darkness looming before them. Her light only cast faint shadows into the large cavern before them, and Sistina nodded before speaking.
“Yes.” The dryad took several steps forward, then paused and moved to the side of the chamber. The dryad examined a slab of rock for a few moments before turning it over. Curious about what was distracting Sistina, Desa stepped closer to look at the stone.
The slab, which she’d initially mistaken for just another piece of broken stone, was actually the remnant of a sign. The slab was partially broken, but she murmured what she could read aloud. “Something… Academy of Magic. This was the mage academy for the city?”
Sistina seemed hesitant, but nodded, setting the stone back down before murmuring, “Yes. Caution. Something… wrong.”
Stepping deeper into the chamber, Desa slowly began to see the outline of the structure within. It wasn’t in as good of shape as the temple of Vanir, but it also wasn’t as damaged as the library had been. The ground floor sprawled across the ground to either side of a huge tower that thrust upward like a blunt spear, which was some sixty feet across as it rose into the gloom, the stone walls of the cavern open only a few feet away from the walls of the crumbling edifice. And there was something different about this tower. Something simply felt off.
Desa felt a chill go up her spine as they stepped closer to the front doors, and she heard something behind her. Like there was a faint whisper from around the corner. Was it Phynis? Did she follow them? Desa spun around to find no one behind them. It was the same empty stone tunnel they’d entered through. What had that been? Was she imagining things?
When she turned back toward the structure, Sistina was crouched down and rubbing a pinch of dirt in between two fingers. Sistina had a frown on her face, which deepened as she looked at the dirt. Finally sniffing at it, Sistina’s face turned grave as she stood and turned around. Her voice was soft as she told Desa, “Leave. Now.”
“What?” Desa asked, suddenly startled, but before she could react, Sistina was walking briskly toward the exit. Unwilling to risk something that the dryad considered dangerous, Desa quickly followed her, the hairs on the back of her neck beginning to stand on end. “What’s wrong?”
“Wait,” Sistina growled, leading the way to the corner of the tunnel, then turning around. At this point, Desa could feel that the air was definitely colder, though she had no idea what the source was.
The moment that Desa passed Sistina, the dryad reached out toward the walls, and then brought her hands together in a harsh clap. And as she did, the walls of the tunnel trembled, and then flowed, like they’d suddenly turned to water for an instant as they slammed together in front of Sistina, solidifying into a solid barrier that had to be at least ten feet thick.
Desa gaped at the solid rock wall in front of her, and then at Sistina. It took her a moment to ask, “Why? What’s wrong?”
“Darkness. Necromancy. Cannot face.” Sistina’s voice was grim as she shook her head. “Seal away. Prepare.”
“Necromancy? Oh. Oh. Are there… undead mages in there?” Desa asked, her stomach suddenly queasy. “Have they been in there since the Godsrage?”
Sistina shrugged at her questions and turned to leave, her mouth a thin line. “Dangerous. Waiting.”
“Right, that makes sense,” Desa replied, then paused and inwardly groaned. “Ah, damn it. Now we have to climb all the way back up right away. Right after finishing the climb all the way down? Kill me now.”
“No.” Sistina’s voice was absent, but a hint of amusement came in her next words. “Phynis hurt me.”
“Traitor,” Desa muttered, beginning to follow the dryad back up the tunnel again as the light faded against the stone barrier behind them.
Several minutes later, there was the faintest scraping sound against the stone wall. It persisted for several minutes before it faded away.
* * *
“Francis, no!” Eileen yelled as the man staggered back under the attack from the massive humanoid bush. Her warning came a moment too late, though. Eileen cringed as her companion’s foot hit the center of the plant patch, and two spiked leaves of the plant trap snapped shut like an enormous bear trap. The crunch of bones snapping was audible even in the midst of battle, and she shuddered in horror, stepping back beside Eric.
They couldn’t reach Henry, whose face was turning purple as he dangled from the vines choking the life out of him. He was still struggling, but his axe was on the floor and his tugs at the vines were growing steadily weaker.
Sayla finally managed to sink a dagger into the throat of the wolf attacking her and fell back, her arm bleeding from where she’d been savaged, even as Arnold cut down the remaining bush with a spouted series of curses. The bush fell, but the last, whimpering howl of the wolf was answered by faint howls from deeper inside the caverns.
“Dammit, fall back, Arnold!” Eric shouted at the man. “There’s more of them coming! We have to get out of here!”
“No way! Henry’s still alive, we can save him!” the big man retorted, gesturing at their nearly unconscious leader.
“Arnold, come on!” Eileen begged him, helping Sayla wrap her arm in rough bandages as howls came closer.
“I’m not leaving him,” Arnold growled, and began to climb one of the trees to try to get in reach of the vines.
“We’ve gotta go, Eileen,” Eric muttered, glancing at the two women. “Agree, Sayla?”
“Yeah… we’d… ow. I don’t know that I can… make it,” the woman gasped, pale from blood loss.
“Then I’ll carry you. Let’s go!” Eric grunted, dropping his spear and picking up the smaller woman. He gave Eileen a grateful look as she took the spear, and they rushed back toward the exit. She focused on ignoring the screams that came from behind them, then cut off less than a minute after they made their escape.
Reaching the exit, though, Eileen took a deep breath of the air outside, almost falling to the ground panting. But she started when she heard a calm voice. “Let me have a look at her, I can help.”
Looking up, Eileen saw one of the adventurers from the tavern gently pushing Eric away from Sayla. Joseph’s manners were relaxed as he took Sayla’s arm gently, and the golden glow that surrounded him as he began to pray made Eileen’s eyes go wide when the wounds started to close. She’d heard about the power of clerics before, but she’d never actually seen them put to use. But near Eileen was a tall, powerful looking brunette who smiled gently.
“Looks like you got lucky, getting out when you did,” Penelope said with a sympathetic smile. “We were afraid all of you would die in there. Obviously, some of you have good survival instincts.”
“That didn’t help… the others…” Eileen huffed, shaking her head.
“Well, that’s how things go. Dungeons are dangerous, and you all underestimated this one,” the adventurer replied calmly, shaking her head. Nodding at Eric, she added, “How about this, though. Since you all show some promise, how about some mentoring while we wait for other adventurers to show up? I get bored, and could use the distraction.”
Eileen looked at Eric, taking deep breaths to calm herself down, and Eric looked back at her. And then he stood up straight and nodded to the woman. “That would be very much appreciated, after that little… incident. I’m Eric. This is Eileen, and that’s Sayla.”
“I’m Penelope. We’ll see if we can’t get you three sorted out,” Penelope replied, her eyes glittering.
Eileen had to wonder why it was that the cleric winced at Penelope’s words.
Chapter 38
Alone in his office, Jared looked at his reports and frowned at them, murmuring. “Well isn’t this an unpleasant situation?”
Reports had trickled back from his spies in Sifaren which were less than pleasant. At least, that was Jared’s opinion. They’d finally informed him that General Fairbrook had died about a month before, and the vague information surrounding his death was extremely bad as well. Even those hints meant that years of careful planning and positioning of resources to support the general’s plans had just been rendered utterly meaningless. It was annoying, and how little he’d heard just made it worse.
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