“If you see them, you will know,” the dwarf countered. “They will be the only living things down here.”
“They?” the Mate probed. “So, there is more than one?”
“Yes, thousands from what legend says,” Hayt sighed, seeing that he wasn’t going to get away with keeping the story to himself. “They are daemon, minions of a dark queen. As I have always been told, they were small creatures, perhaps only a foot or two tall. Not intimidating, but they are gifted with dark powers of fire and ice. To simply be touched by one is a death sentence, and they murdered over a third of us before we escaped the tunnels the night they came.”
“When was this?” Animir asked, his face drawn into a thoughtful frown.
“As I said, near two hundred years ago,” the dwarf confirmed.
“The great war,” the elf grunted. “They are indeed a formidable threat.”
“Shouldn’t they all be dead now?” Amicia observed. “If they have been living down here for centuries, what could they possibly have to eat?”
“Some creatures do not consume as we do,” Animir explained. “Creatures of pure magic do not require sustenance.”
“Pure magic?” Baldwin asked, his interest in the beasts growing.
“We will avoid them at all cost,” Piers informed the boy sternly. Turning to Zaendra, he asked more thoughtfully, “Did you get a good look at the map? Perhaps we should pull it out and choose our path.”
“I did,” the girl agreed, retrieving it from her husband’s bag and unrolling the parchment. “You’ll have to hold the edges, as it has a tendency to curl.”
Spreading the guide on the floor, the group peered down upon it. Each drawn to different features and parts, a silence fell over them for several minutes as the reality of their situation sank in.
“This place is massive,” Amicia observed. “How will we ever cross it undetected?” Thinking of her gem, the very idea of hiding them the entire way made her arm ache.
“We will choose wisely,” Piers soothed. “Many of the chambers have but one way in and out, so they must be avoided, lest we be trapped.”
Leaning over, Zaendra traced the path. “I aligned the map with what I knew of Rhong. This is the exit that will take us out into the marshes of the gnomes,” she added, thumping the cave they needed to reach. “It’s almost like a maze, as the Mate suggested, but we can make it through,” she added, indicating the connecting corridors by sliding her finger along it.
“Perhaps we sleep,” Oldrilin suggested. “Leave when we wake to face the darkness.” Her clear blue orbs filled with tears, Rey offered her his hand, which she used to climb into his lap.
“We can’t rest too long here,” Amicia countered, her pulse slowly rising in her ears. “I do not like this place. The longer we have been here, the more intensely I feel a presence.”
“I feel it as well, a powerful creature,” Meena agreed, glaring at the elf. “You know more of this, I am certain.”
Glancing between them, Animir shook his long locks. “Nothing that would help us,” he denied. “But I agree it would be unwise to fall asleep within these halls even with a guard. We should gather our things and do our best to be out of here before we are found.”
Still staring at the map, Piers seconded, “I have also memorized the path. Zaendra and I will help keep each other on track as we pick our way through. Everyone put on your robes and cover yourselves the best that you can. We will leave in a few minutes.”
Moving to comply, a noise tickled Amicia’s senses but not a sound she could easily place. “Lamwen?” she reached, searching for the first time in days.
Only silence greeted her, adding to her sorrow. Feeling the resonance again, she glanced at Meena to find the woman’s dark brown orbs glaring at her. “You hear it, too,” she whispered. “What is it?”
“Yes,” the wan replied, pressing her lips together as she swallowed. “I’m not sure of the source, but it is here with us. I cannot tell if it senses us, but it may.”
“Let’s move,” Piers commanded, taking the lead with one of their lanterns. “We won’t talk unless we have to, so everyone stay close and keep an eye out… and whatever you do, do it quietly,” he instructed, emphasizing the final word with a hiss.
Following the Mate, Rey carried his sword, his hood and sleeves pulled down so that his hands and face were only partially exposed. Ahead of him, he could see the light of the small lamp swaying in rhythm with the older man’s steps. “This is bad,” he mumbled as he turned to look back. Behind him, Zaendra and their new dwarf followed, while the others took up their usual places, Meena, Lin, Ami, Bally and Animir at the rear, also carrying a light for them. “I don’t like this,” he grumbled to himself, a cold settling over him despite the work of walking.
A moment of clarity coming to her as they slunk along in the shadows, Amicia reached out to Piers. “Do you think these daemons might fear the stone?”
“I doubt they are like the goblins,” he replied.
“But what if they are?”
“I don’t intend to see any, so we won’t ever find out,” he clipped back at her, scowling to himself as they moved.
“Well, how long will it take to make it to the other side?”
“How should I know?”
“You must have some idea!” she insisted.
“Ami, please be quiet,” he snapped. “I must focus on the path.”
Her lip taking on a heavy pout, the girl left him alone, but not without a bit of resentment. After all, we might need to know these things. “Just tell me how long… Guess.” she tried one last time.
“An hour,” he sighed. “If we keep up this pace, it will take us an hour.”
Given a quantity to contemplate, the girl resisted the urge to annoy him further. An hour is good, she thought to herself. Not the fastest but not hours or days, either.
The corridors remarkably similar to Rhong, she considered how long the dwarves might have occupied the city. Thinking of the story of the great oracle, Edeill had said they were given the mountain to share with the elves. At the beginning of time. Or after they were created. A long time ago, either way.
But the elves plotted how to steal the mountain for themselves. That’s what the wolf had said. Could the elves have something to do with the daemons? She shivered violently at the thought of it. Her thoughts raced in circles as they wound their way through, keeping her mind occupied and holding out the fear.
The minutes ticking by, they had covered over half the distance when they arrived at a huge room with a ceiling that towered above them. Pausing his step, the Mate allowed the others to catch up. “Dwarves and their damned great halls,” he muttered, observing the layers of balconies that lined the walls.
Each of these walkways were fed by tunnels, similar to that he had observed in Rhong. Scooting up beside him, Zaendra sighed, “This is the scariest part.”
“Aye, and the deepest within the mountain,” Piers agreed. “Once we clear this, we will be very close to the exit and perhaps a bit safer.” Turning to Rey, he observed the pouch, ready on his chest. “You better take on your passenger, son. We’ll be running so that we cross this room as quickly as we can.”
Her eyes searching the darkness, Amicia could still hear, or rather feel, the sounds around her. Her mind drawn to their escape the night before, she sighed, “At least I don’t have to hide us all the way.”
“I honestly wish that you could,” Piers countered, also peering into the shadows. “Everyone ready? We will quicken the pace, running if we are able. There should be little or no debris on this path, and it is a straight shot to the door on the far end, the one we need to take to make the correct section of tunnels beyond.”
“Let us hurry,” Animir agreed, holding his bow tightly as he waited.
The siren securely against his chest, Rey announced, “We’re ready, Mate. Lead the way.”
“Stay close, everyone,” Piers repeated the command. Turning on his heel, he walked quic
kly. Glancing behind to see that everyone indeed kept up, he quickened the pace, falling into a light jog. Holding the lamp in his left hand and sword in the right, the light bounced around ahead of them, illuminating the dust covered path made of hard stone rather than the gravel of Rhong.
Nothing moved in the grey areas that fell to the sides, where the light penetrated but was not strong enough to provide full view. His eyes scanning, the Mate’s spirits lifted at the thought of their reaching the other side unscathed. They had almost made it , and the doorway they must take loomed ahead when a scream behind him stopped him dead in his tracks.
Creatures of Darkness
Following the others, Bally lagged behind, hanging beside Animir. At the moment, he wished the two of them had established that telepathic link that Amicia seemed able to share. It sure would be convenient, he mused, having a hard time remaining quiet about all that they observed as they passed through the forgotten city.
His mind wandering, he first considered what the miniature daemons might look like. Hayt said they were fire and ice. I wonder if he meant that literally. Picturing a small animal, perhaps like a cat or a dog walking on its hind legs, he imagined it bursting into flames. Catching a giggle from the prospect, he barked a small laugh.
Snapping to attention, he noticed he had continued to lag farther behind, and Animir was eight to ten yards ahead of him. “Hey –” he almost shouted, catching himself at the first syllable. That was close. His boots clicking louder as he ran to catch up, he panted. Need to watch yourself here, Bally.
Feeling a stinging pain, perhaps a bite, on his right leg, a thousand shards of glass pierced his skin. Screaming, Baldwin stopped, shaking his appendage wildly to remove the creature. Remembering his axe, he chopped at it with his blade. The hardened steal sliced the tiny being easily, and it squealed and landed on the floor, seeming to melt into a pile of black goo as its cry echoed through the wide hall. Falling to his knees, he breathed heavily, his chest tight.
Reaching him, the group formed a ring, staring into the darkness for signs of any others.
“You fool!” Piers bellowed. “What were you thinking?”
“I didn’t see it,” the boy stammered, leaning back against his stiff arms as he sat on the stone floor. His wound stretched out before him, the Mate pulled at the material, cutting it with his sword to expose the area up to his knee. “It bit me before I knew it was there,” Bally finished meekly.
“Do not touch it,” Hayt warned. Glaring at the boy, he added, “He will die. There is no recourse for this.”
“Die!” Amicia screamed before she was shushed by the others, kneeling on his left side. “He cannot die.”
“I assure you he can and he will,” the dwarf insisted emphatically. “Not to sound callous, but we should leave him and go.”
“How long?” Piers asked, thinking if they could reach the surface with him.
“Minutes… hours. I have no way of knowing,” Hayt growled. “I only know the poison within him will spread, and any who touch it will also be at risk.”
Staring into their leader’s clear brown orbs, Amicia swore, “I can save him. I am certain.” Reaching for the hamar gem, she pulled it from her pocket. Folding the fingers of her right hand around it, it glowed brightly between them as she placed her left flat against his chest. Inhaling deeply, she closed her eyes. This has to work. Please, Bally, don’t leave us!
“We do not have time for this,” Meena hissed, indicating the door on the far end.
“I don’t see anything,” Rey observed, holding the siren firmly against his chest, as if the pack in which she rode were not enough.
“Nor do I,” the older woman whispered, “but I hear them. They are gathering out of sight I am sure of it. When they come, we will be swarmed with no chance to fight back.”
“Ami, give me the stone,” Animir commanded, shoving Piers aside and taking his place.
“What? Why?” she gasped, her eyes fluttering as she panted. Glaring at the markings, Bally’s condition appeared unchanged.
“Whatever magic you possess, you cannot change this,” Hayt warned, fidgeting where he stood and ready to run.
The conversation chaotic, Animir pushed. “My ancestors sent the daemon. The queen is a dark elf, one of renowned magic. Amicia, please. Give me the hamar gem that I may try to imprison her within it.”
In the doorway on the far end, a tall, slender creature entered. Standing in the arch, it wore black, like a gown, from head to toe, it’s hair the red of burning embers. Holding its arms above its head, its fingers splayed as it screamed. Upon the loud shriek, the area around her feet bubbled with life as the daemons poured in and surrounded their queen.
“We must go, now!” Meena cried.
His hand landing on her arm, Animir held the girl firmly, tearing the gem from her grasp. “You must flee, my queen. Take her, Mate. She is the one who must see the light of another day.”
Pulling himself up, Baldwin used the handle of his weapon to stand. Limping towards the exit they had all but cleared, he joined his best friend’s plea. “You guys get out of here. Me and Animir will hold them off as long as we can.”
“You can’t fight,” Zaendra challenged. “You are injured.”
Catching his bride, Hayt moaned, “We cannot save him, love. They are coming, and we must flee.” The pack of daemons had already crossed half the distance between them while they argued.
Seeing no other choice, Piers seized the blonde, tossing her over his shoulder as if she were one of the packs of milled grain she had hidden behind on his ship. “Bring her bag and follow,” he shouted, not waiting to see who would keep up and who would be left to the darkness.
Adding the girl’s bag to her back, Meena gripped her staff firmly as she followed her husband. Rey close behind, the dwarf and nymph also followed. When they cleared the door, Piers paused to see that the two who would remain behind had turned and faced the oncoming rush.
“Goodbye, my friends,” he whispered, holding the lantern up before him as he ran into the next tunnel, Amicia still squirming against him.
Screams and howls echoed through the halls, and Amicia joined in the chant. “Piers, stop! Please! We must help them,” she sobbed. “We cannot leave them behind.” When he failed to respond, she tried another. “Animir! Do you hear me?”
“I hear you,” came a weak reply.
“Oh, God,” she sobbed.
“Do not cry for me, my queen. This is a fitting end, one I am proud to own.”
“No!” she bellowed aloud, fighting to free herself, to no avail.
Pausing his step, the Mate lifted the light so that it shone farther ahead. “We are not alone,” he warned.
Gripping her spear, Zaendra’s blood boiled. “We will destroy them!”
“Do not let them touch you!” Hayt warned.
“I will not, dear husband,” Zae seethed, glancing at Meena next to her. “Get Lin and Ami to safety,” she suggested, “while the three of us take on the fight.”
“Agreed,” the wan nodded. “We may not be strong enough to defeat them, but we can hold them off while you carry your burdens from this dark place.”
“We are almost there,” Piers agreed. “Stay close and do not lose your way.”
“I know the way,” Zaendra challenged, taking the lead. Out of the abyss, a small form scurried towards her. Stabbing at it with a downward thrust, Zae sliced the creature in half. Falling limply to the floor, the daemon dissolved into a pile of dark earth, and the girl giggled with morbid delight as they pushed on, dismembering any that found their way out of hiding to attack them.
At the back of the group, more came at them, but Meena and Hayt were equally skilled with their weapons. Over and over, the challenge came as they fought their way through the rubble, and time and again the tiny bodies parted and fell into small piles of dust.
“There are so many!” Rey cried, swinging his sword at a few that made it past the girl in front.
�
��We must hurry,” Piers urged. “We cannot fight them off much longer.”
Ahead of them, the final corridor loomed. Its angle steep, it led directly to a small cave, where the marshlands would greet them once they found their way clear.
“Put me down!” Amicia screamed, resorting to thrashing when she was able.
“Ami, stop!” Reynard fumed. “You only slow our escape!”
“We left them,” she cried, no longer able to reach the elf. “We left them!”
“We had to, love,” Piers soothed as they reached the incline. In the narrow space, the solid walls would protect them. “Prevent them from running up behind,” he ordered, their progress slowed by the condition of the trail. “As long as we do, and if the cave ahead is clear, we will make it.”
Crying with every step, Amicia refused to give in. Her heart broken, she feared the future without her dearest friends more than any creatures of the darkness. “Please, take me back,” she sobbed again and again.
The minutes ticking by as they stumbled forward, exhaustion pulled at their legs, bringing their momentum down to a crawl. “Keep going,” Piers urged. “We can’t have much farther.”
Moments after he spoke, the earth flattened before them. “We made it to the cave!” Zaendra sang, pivoting to look around at the bare walls. “I don’t think they come in here,” she observed, based on its condition.
“They do not come to the surface,” Hayt agreed. “They are creatures of the darkness and cannot survive in the sunlight.”
“I should have used the gem against them,” Amicia fumed as the bright light blinded them for a moment.
Placing her feet upon the ground, Piers maintained his hold on her arm, squeezing it when she tried to pull away. “You can’t go back, love,” he soothed. Catching her with his free appendage, he hugged her against his broad chest as she sobbed.
Meeting the gaze of his wife, he continued, “Is everyone whole? No bites or scratches?” The group had spread out, sitting on the large flat stones that flanked the mouth of the cave to rest and inspect each other for wounds.
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