A snap like thunder came from the cavern, and the earth shook. Boulders slammed down. Instinct made me pause as I feared my own tunnel would collapse, but I pushed on. Zav needed help.
As I reached the end of Zav’s tunnel, and more of the cavern came into view, rocks kept raining down out there. Dust filled the voluminous space, the salty air stinging my nostrils, and I batted at the air, struggling to see what was happening. Which one of them had caused a rockfall? Or had it been accidental as they flung their magic around?
A cold draft came from somewhere, stirring the dust. At the edge, I made myself pause and peer around before jumping down. A good thing—I was more than twenty feet from the floor, a floor covered with rubble.
But most of the rubble was in a huge mound in the middle of the cavern, with numerous dwarf skeletons walking mindlessly around it. Some had been crushed, with leg or arm bones sticking out. A few of the flying creatures had been knocked out of the air and lay pinned by boulders. Others had landed and were peering toward the immense rubble pile.
The powerful aura of the lich emanated from under the largest concentration of rocks. Zav had dropped the ceiling on her.
Good work, Zav, I thought before realizing he wasn’t in the cavern. Where did you go?
More rocks clattered down from above. A great hole in the ceiling led up a hundred feet and, judging by the chilly air trickling down, out of the mountain. Zav hung up there, somehow wedged with his legs and wings spread as he looked down at the rubble.
Our eyes met through the dust, but before he could respond or give any warning, the rubble stirred. I stifled a groan—barely.
Boulders flew away as if they’d been hurled from a hundred catapults.
I will lead her away now, Zav told me as the lich emerged, not appearing damaged at all. The power that she radiated hadn’t diminished.
Zav twisted in the exit hole he’d made and used his magic to propel himself upward. The dragon lich snarled and sprang up after him like a missile.
Look out, Zav. She’s coming fast, and I think she’s mad.
Find your blade if you can. He had to also be flying fast; already his words were fainter in my mind. I will attempt to lead her from the mountain and keep her busy until my people come.
Maybe you should make a portal back home and get out of her reach.
Then she would return for you. And my people would have no warning of the poison.
I sure hoped his people weren’t hanging out in their nests in their meeting place, noshing on popcorn. Or, given their carnivorous tendencies, small animals.
We are going down, Val? Sindari asked from behind me.
There wasn’t room for both of us side by side in the tunnel, so he was stuck back there without a view.
Yeah. I’m going to find Chopper and whatever artifact is set up to poison dragons, so I can bash the crap out of it.
I peered down, looking for a spot where I could jump down and land without making noise. The lich was gone, but as I’d feared, she hadn’t taken any of her minions with her. A dozen or two had been squished, but dozens more remained.
As I prepared to jump, they shambled and clacked toward the alcove. A groan came from within it, a human groan. Li?
I couldn’t see into the shadows of the alcove, but with the lich and her overpowering aura gone, I thought I detected Li’s aura. Her faint aura. She might not have long.
Can you hear me? I attempted to direct my telepathic words toward her.
Another groan floated out. The skeletons arranged themselves in squads in front of the alcove like a platoon of soldiers. The flying creatures returned to the air, patrolling from above.
Hey, Li. I’ll help you if I can. Are you back in that alcove? Is the dragon-slaying artifact back there?
You came for the sword. Her telepathic voice came through as a whisper, weak and barely discernible.
Uh, yeah, but also whatever artifact is set up to poison the dragons.
Clacks drifted to my ears, not from the cavern but from the way we’d come. I peered along the wall to where the original tunnel came out—there were stairs leading from it down to the floor. Two dwarven skeletons came into view, looked down the stairs toward their buddies, and turned and went back into the tunnel.
They are searching for us, Sindari said.
Of course they are.
It is back here, Li replied.
The artifact? I asked.
She didn’t reply again. I had no idea if she wanted to help me find it or wanted to lure me to my death. Nor did I know if she was talking about Chopper or the poison artifact.
We’ve got to get back into that alcove, Sindari. That alcove that had four rows of skeletal minions with axes guarding it. No way could I slip past them, even with my camouflage charm. They had the whole area blocked off.
And how will we do that?
I don’t know.
28
I stared at the platoon of skeletal warriors, trying to figure out how I could get past them. Too bad Zav’s rockfall hadn’t taken them all out. If Li was still conscious in that alcove, she was ignoring my attempts to communicate. Zav had flown out of my range. So had the lich. I hoped he was faster than she was.
If I had all of my gear, including a bunch of Nin’s grenades, I would be lobbing explosives by now, I told Sindari, afraid I didn’t have much time to figure this out.
What happened if the lich defeated Zav and came back? I had no way off this world without him. And without him, I had… nobody to marry. Nobody to buy ridiculous amounts of meat for. Nobody who knew all of my vulnerabilities and still thought I was a great warrior.
I swallowed a lump in my throat and willed myself to focus.
As soon as we reveal ourselves, Sindari said, they will attack en masse.
I know. I don’t suppose you’d like to try to lure them off?
I am in the perfect position for foot gnawing.
Is that a no?
Sindari sighed into my mind. I will attempt to do it. He peered back into the darkness behind us. It must be now. The ambulatory skeletons have discovered Lord Zavryd’s side tunnel. Our side tunnel.
Right. I swung down, holding on by my hand to get a little lower before dropping, then pushed off from the wall to avoid as much rubble as possible.
But I forgot to compensate for the heavier gravity. It brought me down sooner than I expected, and my foot brushed a rock as I landed in a jarring crouch. It clattered to the side, bumping another rock. Only then did I realize how quiet it had been in the cavern. The skulls of all the skeletal warriors swiveled toward me.
As one, the first rank in the platoon strode in my direction. Hell.
Sindari came down beside me, not making a noise. Not until he roared and charged across the rubble toward the advancing skeletons.
Thank you, I told him and ran along the wall, hoping to skirt the skeletons and find a way to slip behind the rest of the guards. I had no delusions about all of them taking off after Sindari.
He roared again, dropping his stealth so they could see him. They hefted their axes. He darted in but it was only a feint, and he didn’t get close enough to be in danger of their swinging weapons.
Another squad of skeletons strode away from the alcove to help their buddies. They had no brains in those skulls, but whatever powered them gave them enough smarts to try to surround Sindari. Several of the winged creatures dove for him, talons outstretched.
Be careful, please, I thought as I reached the far wall and ran along it toward the alcove. I went as fast as I could without making noise, but the damn rocks were all over, impeding even agile half-elven feet.
Sindari was as fast as the apex predator he always reminded me he was, but there were far too many enemies for him to evade. As he sprang away from two of the axe-wielding skeletons, one of the winged creatures caught up with him, raking his back with its talons. Talons that created vile, tainted wounds that didn’t heal on their own.
Regret surged into me. Si
ndari, get out of here! Before they hurt you more.
I had to slow as I reached the skeletons. There were still twenty in front of the alcove. They’d spread apart to ensure they could cover it—and would see through my camouflage if I got close. Their skulls were turned toward Sindari and his battle, but they were magical creatures and would doubtless sense me.
I crept closer and grabbed a rock. As Sindari ignored my order to get out, I threw it against the far wall, hoping the remaining skeletons would think I was over there and had tripped.
Sindari roared, taking a powerful swipe with his claws, and knocked the skull off one of the warriors. It clattered into a rubble pile and shattered. But all of the flying creatures were above him now, more than a dozen filling the air around him like vultures. I drew Fezzik, intending to help him, even if it meant giving up my cover. I couldn’t let him be torn apart.
Don’t, Val, Sindari ordered a second before I fired. Just get into the alcove. Get your sword and destroy the artifact. I’m fine. I’ll leave this realm before they can kill me.
I hesitated, torn and frustrated. I wanted to blow away as many of those bastards as I could.
Several of the skeletons in front of the alcove reacted to the sound of my rock hitting the side wall. They turned and marched off.
That left only ten in front of the alcove, and they weren’t looking in my direction. I grabbed another rock. This was the best shot I would get.
Hugging the wall, I ran for the corner. I sucked in my belly as I eased around it. The two closest skeletons turned toward me as I slid into the alcove. I lobbed the rock over their heads. It clattered to the ground, but this time, none of them turned to look.
They had sensed me.
Sindari roared again, broke away from his fight, and charged toward the alcove. Blood dripped from dozens of gashes on his flanks. That didn’t keep him from springing at the skeletons that were stepping toward me. They were forced to turn, swinging their axes to keep him from tearing their skulls off.
Again, I had to fight the urge to leap into battle with him. As he’d said, he could disappear into another realm. I could not.
I backed into the dark alcove, the light outside contrasting with the deep shadows and making it hard to see what was inside of it. The faint outline of a cage dangling from the ceiling was just visible. Li lay crumpled on the bottom.
A door at the back of the alcove stood open, more magic emanating from somewhere beyond it. Damn, did the tunnel system continue back there?
Two of the skeletons evaded Sindari and strode toward me, their axes hefted over their heads. I tried to call upon the magic Freysha had taught me, forming a barrier across the alcove between them and me.
They bumped against it. One swung its axe at it. Even though he was several feet from me, somehow the barrier was like an extension of me, and I gasped as the magical blade bit into it. The pain resonated in my skull, and I barely managed to keep the barrier up.
Sindari roared, knocking one of the skeletons into the side of the alcove. Another bumped against my barrier and lurched back, startled by it.
I ran to Li’s cage, struggling to concentrate on keeping my magical defenses up as I tried to figure out how to free her. I didn’t see the sword or any artifacts, not in the alcove, and I worried I would need her to direct me to them.
I’m going to try to get you out. I hefted my sword, hoping I could reach the cage, and that it was breakable. Get off the floor of that thing if you can.
One of the skeletons swung its magical axe at my barrier again. Again, the blow drove pain into my skull. They knew I was back here, and there was no way I would be able to keep my meager barrier up much longer, not when their blades could hurt it—and hurt me through it.
Sindari lunged in and grabbed the offending skeleton by the leg bone, flinging it into others that were trying to surround him. One of the winged creatures got close enough to rake him again.
Val, I cannot last much longer.
Save yourself, I ordered as I swung my borrowed dwarven sword at the bottom of the cage. I’ll figure something out.
Whatever the cage was made of, it cracked under my assault, and a piece of it gave. A shard tumbled down, clattering at my feet. Bone. Of course.
Inside, Li finally stirred. She found the energy to climb up the side bars. I swung again, no finesse in the movement, only hoping I could damage the cage enough that she could rip her way out. Or that I could leap up and rip it apart. She might be too weak to do anything but hang on.
My foot slipped on something wet as I swung again. Blood. Li’s? I couldn’t see her well in the shadows but had no trouble sensing her pain and weakness.
Why did she capture you and torture you? I connected solidly with the corner, and more bone splintered and cracked.
Because I sneaked in here to get a dragon blade… before I knew the lich was here. Li, clinging to the side bars, thumped her foot against the bottom of the cage, trying to help me break it. Remember how I said I got in, stumbled across the lich, and escaped before it caught me?
Yeah.
I didn’t. It caught me and scoured my mind for everything I knew. Dragon blades were on my mind—like I said before, I’d just become aware of you and yours—and the lich found out what I knew about your weapon. It commanded me to go back to Earth and get your sword. It didn’t want any weapons with the power to hurt it unaccounted for in the realms. The lich is crazy. Li stomped again, and the bottom of the cage fell free. I sprang back, the heavy piece barely missing me.
It thinks it’s going to kill all the other dragons and take over everything, Li added, letting herself drop down.
When she landed, her legs gave way, and she would have pitched over, but I rushed back in to catch her. She took a shaky breath and visibly braced herself.
I didn’t want to be a slave to a lich. I thought that once I got back to Earth, it wouldn’t have any sway over me, but it had put a magical compulsion on me.
Yeah, I know about those.
I had to obey the lich. Had to get that sword and bring it back here. It said it would free me if I succeeded, but I knew all along it was a lie. Li shook her head, gripping my arms for support. I couldn’t keep from obeying it though. It’s too powerful.
Outside of the alcove, Sindari ducked under another attack from above. He spun, leaving blood of his own on the floor, and raced toward the stairs and the tunnel out of here.
Some of the skeletons and flying creatures chased him, but most didn’t. They turned to focus on Li and me, axes raised to strike at the barrier I was barely maintaining. I had no idea how their magic was attacking me through the barrier, but the worst migraine was building behind my eyes. It felt like my brain was swelling in my skull.
“Do you know where that artifact is?” I panted, giving up on telepathy—it wasn’t like they didn’t know we were here—and fighting to concentrate enough to keep the skeletal warriors from getting to us. “The one that can kill the dragons?”
Several of those axes struck my barrier simultaneously, and the collective pain stabbed into my brain from all sides. I gasped and dropped to my knee. I couldn’t maintain the barrier.
“I don’t give a damn about the dragons.” Li pulled away from me and ran to the doorway in the back of the alcove, disappearing into the tunnel.
“I helped you!” I yelled after her, intending to ask that she help me, but another axe struck my barrier, bringing another blast of pain.
My barrier shattered in my mind. The skeletons rushed into the alcove.
I lurched to my feet, fury at being abandoned propelling me after Li. The skeletons clattered after me, their axes swinging.
If I caught up with Li, I would brain her. But she was probably sprinting for some hidden exit out of the mountain. I wished I could, but if I didn’t find and destroy that artifact first, I might lose Zav forever.
29
Far ahead, orange light came into view, promising another chamber. I sprinted down the long dark
tunnel toward it, dozens of skeletal warriors chasing after me. Even though I’d let my barrier fall, my head still pulsed with pain. The idea of trying to stop and conjure another barrier, one they would once again attack, sounded less appealing than driving nails into my eyes. I would rather fight them with my borrowed blade if I had to.
As I pumped my arms and legs, Sindari disappeared from my awareness. He’d either reached the end of his one-mile magical tether, or he’d been so injured that he had no choice but to flee this world. I didn’t want to think about another possibility—that he’d refused to leave and they’d managed to kill him.
A dragon came within range of my senses, flying about outside of the mountain. It wasn’t Zav, and it wasn’t the lich.
It was Zav’s sister, Zondia.
A second dragon came within my range. They weren’t flying into it, I realized as I kept running toward that light, skeletons chasing after me. The dragons were coming out of a portal right above Mount Crenel.
The cavalry had finally arrived. For an instant, relief washed over me—they could help Zav against the lich—but then I remembered. They didn’t know about the poison.
What if that artifact was set to go off automatically as soon as a bunch of dragons flew close to the mountain? Or what if the lich sensed when they arrived and could use her magic to flip a switch from afar?
That second scenario seemed so likely that I feared it was already oozing poison into the air from wherever it was. I ran faster, reaching out telepathically to Zondia.
Talk to Zav! I urged. There’s an artifact in this mountain somewhere that can poison dragons. In the air. Outside, right where you are!
Something grabbed my braid, jerking my head back. Pain lanced down my spine, and I pitched against the wall, shoulder ramming hard. One of the blasted skeletons had caught me. It raised an axe with its other hand, aiming for my head.
Furious, I spun, trying to tear my braid out of its bony grip as I sliced my sword through the haft of its weapon, breaking it in half. As the axe head slammed to the floor, I kicked my attacker in the torso. More skeletons crowded up right behind it.
Secrets of the Sword 2 (Death Before Dragons Book 8) Page 24
