by Shawn Keys
Jake flared, “What the hell was that?”
With gritted teeth, Zahn snapped back at him, “I should be asking the same question!” He shook his head. “But I don’t have to ask, now do I?”
The mercenary’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“I could have believed that you lost Mike. He was hanging on by his fingertips. Not sure I could have held on myself. But you got greedy. You were scared Ash would figure out you were the traitor. So you killed her!”
“She was hit by the –”
“– don’t bother! We checked her as we went by. Her neck was slashed. Water didn’t do that! And you would have closed that gate on us too if you had the guts to face these traps by yourself. How long before you would have betrayed us? You turned awfully easy at the first sign of danger!”
Jake yelled desperately, “They were fucking zombies !”
“You’re a coward. A coward and a traitor.”
Jake jerked a pistol from its holster. “Shame. I could have used your help.” He raised the pistol toward Zahn.
A rock soared into his face. Kaylee mocked him, “Hear that? Sounded like the rock hit something hollow.”
Rubbing at the red welt on his cheek, Jake snarled and shifted the pistol toward her.
Zahn was already moving. He covered the crystal on his arm and flipped the hood of his invisibility cloak over his head in one motion. Turned into a glassy smear, he plunged into the water. In a still pool, his wavering form would be easy to see. But in the disturbed water, Zahn all but vanished.
The traitorous mercenary forgot Kaylee’s mockery and scrambled backward, away from where Zahn had been. He fired three times into the water.
Zahn wasn’t worried. The invisibility cloak had magical fibers that didn’t let much through. And pistol bullets didn’t penetrate water more than an inch or two. He had dived deep, right down to the bottom of the cistern. With a hard kick off the wall, he clawed himself forward on the rough stone floor and wrestled his arms around Jake’s legs.
Jake was forced off balance in the swirling water and Zahn dunked him. They fought over the pistol, smashing it against the stone wall. It squirted out of their warring grips and washed away. Punches were flung back and forth until finally Jake managed to shove Zahn back .
The mercenary lunged back above the surface, gasping in air and searching for his half-obscured opponent. He reached behind his back and tugged free a huge knife that was practically a machete. “No more games.”
Angelica had a fierce smirk on her face as she barked at him, “Oh, I agree.”
A snake fell from far above onto Jake’s shoulders. It hissed in anger and sank a vicious bite into his neck.
Jake screeched in pain and fear. He dropped the knife and tried to fling the serpent away. A second one appeared from the shadows above and joined in the attack. They snapped several more bites into his flesh before the man finally managed to whip them off. He went insane, battering his fists against the walls and sweeping his arms through the water. Veins were already standing out on his neck and face. Venom turned the bites into raging pustules of poison. Soon, he was barely able to breathe and started to sink beneath the surface.
Zahn watched him fade with cold eyes. He knew Kaylee’s pansalve might save the man. He said nothing.
Neither did Kaylee.
They watched until the bubbles from below the surface stopped.
And all Zahn could think was, Good riddance.
Chapter 16
Angelica was totally focused on controlling the panicked snakes twined around her. They could swim, but there was nowhere to go in the cistern. She coaxed them up onto her arms, softly whispering to calm them. Her gaze cast about, measuring the rising water. It was already framing the bottom of her breasts. “Zahn…” Her voice wobbled nervously.
That nudged Zahn free of his stupor. He uncovered the light-relic crystal again and held it up high. Peering into the shadows above, he tried to gauge the height of the cistern. “Could you tell how far up the snakes were before you had them leap?”
Angelica nuzzled her finger against one of the serpents’ noses, then shook her head. “The fall scared them a little. Hard to say exactly.”
Zahn sampled the walls. “Too slick to climb, and not enough hand-holds. But maybe enough to hold on to while we wait.”
Kaylee nodded. “We can tread water. Wait for the water to raise us up.”
Zahn shivered, “It isn’t warm.”
Kaylee got closer to him, and waved Angelica in. “Keep your little friends from nipping us, Angie, and I’ll use the pansalve to hold off the cold. Won’t be comfortable, but we won’t die.”
They huddled together as best they could. Zahn knew this was a death trap of its own. Slower, less dramatic, but the torture of watching the water creep higher and higher until their bodies started to float was agonizing.
The next hour was one of the worst and best of Zahn’s life. Seeing the spirit and will to live in his two lovers was inspiring. Clinging to their wet bodies to keep warm was almost stimulating enough to chase away the fear of death. But there was no avoiding the encroaching chill that sapped their strength. The pansalve healed the damage that might kill them, but wouldn’t chase away the punishing cold nor refresh the fatigue from swimming and holding onto the wet walls for so long.
At last, the rising water buoyed them up high enough to see the underground river pouring in. As the cistern reached capacity, it spilled over into an out-flow that carried away under the mountain. Before they could be swept away along with it, the trio managed to clamber over the edge and tumble onto the cavern floor in a wet heap. The snakes slithered away, leaving the three humans to cuddle into each other. For a long while, they simply held each other and let warmth and the pansalve bring them back toward real life.
None of that could chase away their fatigue. They had escaped death a half-dozen times now. Zahn knew how that wore on a person’s mind. He had never faced such a chain of near-death experiences. He wasn’t sure he had the will to face another. No more. Damn you, Gawain. We’ve passed your tests. No more, he whispered to himself.
A soft hand stroked Zahn’s cheek. He wasn’t even really aware his eyes were closed until that moment. Had he drifted off into sleep? How tired was he? He awoke now to find Kaylee’s bright green gaze on him, a question on her face. He did his best to look reassuring. “I’m fine. Really. I wouldn’t have gotten through that without Angie and you.” He peered around them a little; his light-relic was nestled between them, so they were cuddled in a small sphere of soft light. Beyond that was blank darkness.
Kaylee issued a wry chuckle. “I wouldn’t have been here in the first place without you. My life was way safer.” She stroked his cheek again, tenderly this time. “But nowhere near as fun.”
Angelica draped her arms around both of them. “Shall we, my loves?”
Her question reminded Zahn of who was missing. He ruffled quickly through his pack and found one of two last repeaters. The first one had water damage: definitely ruined. The second showed signs of life. He jammed it into a soft patch of rock and activated it. “Hally? You there?”
“Oh thank g… I am coming with you all next time. This is maddening! Are you alright ?”
Zahn exhaled in relief. “Couple close calls, love. We seem like we’re in a cavern now, and nothing has come to kill us. That’s a good sign.”
“Angie? Leea? ”
It was Angelica who answered, “We’re all fine. Drained and terrified, but surviving. Not everyone has. Ash and her entire team have been killed. Jake was Lars’ mole.” She paused, worried and afraid to ask. “Have you seen our mothers? ”
Heather sounded pleased to give them hope, “I’ve activated the drone for three fly-bys up to now. I’ve seen Lars and Carter arguing, but your mothers are safe and sitting on the ground. I checked only about ten minutes ago. ”
Zahn let out another break of relief. “Good. Lars hasn’t gotten bored yet. Guess he doesn
’t have many options. Give us a few seconds, Heather. We’re going to see what we’re dealing with now.”
“Next time, we’re getting better transmitters with full video feeds. I want to see what you’re seeing.”
Zahn smiled. “Can’t argue with that. Pretty sure they make cameras that aren’t too heavy.”
Angelica betrayed a knowing smile of her own. “And I think we can afford the wireless data charges between us.”
Zahn gathered himself. They were getting sucked into a false sense of security. Nothing was attacking them from beyond their spherical sanctuary of light, so he had kept the light-relic tucked between them, as if not seeing the dangers would hold them at bay. Time to see what’s out there.
“Ready, ladies?” Both of them nodded. As one, they uncoiled from their huddled group and faced outward. Zahn held aloft his arm, shedding the potent white light of the crystal-relic on the cavern around them for the first time.
An ancient knight in full plate armor glared down on them.
All three flinched, falling into defensive crouches. They had lost every weapon they had, and Zahn suspected they looked ridiculous. What are we going to do, punch the undead warrior ?
Nothing happened.
Slowly, Zahn straightened up. He considered the knight more rationally. The armor was old, and appropriate for the era in which the Arthurian Knights were said to have existed. He was standing on a massive rock outcropping, putting him almost two stories above them. An imposing posture. But there was no life to his skeletal features. No unholy light in his eyes. No animation in his limbs. He was posed up there on the rock pedestal. One hand was on his sword hilt, the sword itself in a waist scabbard. The other hand grasped a thick staff made of black oak.
The staff demanded his attention. Was that the Staff?
But he fought against getting sucked into one detail. It was a hard lesson he had learned. If he had been sucked into the Fountain of Life, those undead bears would have torn him and Angelica apart.
So, he wrenched his focus away and absorbed the details that made up the rest of the chamber.
The rocky outcropping was the dominant feature. Zahn considered how high the cistern had brought them, and suspected that this huge stone formation surrounded the entry cave they had been in before. This entire complex truly did fold back in on itself. Incredible , he thought. Hours of pain and fighting death, only to arrive a few dozen feet from where we started.
Behind them, the river flowed through the very edge of the chamber. The top of the cistern was like a small pool, showing no sign of its true depth and the horrors that waited below. The ceiling of the cavern could be seen high above, though it would only be a dozen feel overhead once they ascended onto the top of the rock platform where the knight stood unmoving. The lower part of the cavern extended left and right, circling around the central rock pillar.
Angelica nudged his arm. “Stairs to the right.”
Kaylee added, “And to the left.”
Zahn nodded. “Flip a coin? Or split up?”
Kaylee interjected, “We are not splitting up.”
Angelica clutched Zahn’s arm in mute agreement.
From over their headsets, Heather offered, “Random oddity. Did you know all of us are left-handed? ”
Zahn blinked as the strange factoid hit him. “Weird. Are you saying we should go left?”
He could almost hear Heather’s shrug. “Got nothing better. Plus, didn’t old castle stairs curl to the left so that right-handed attackers could swing properly? Seems like good luck to mess with that. ”
Zahn gave a soft snort of amusement. “Better than anything I can dream up. Angie? Leea?”
“Works for me.”
“Sure. Why not?”
Knowing they might live to regret that question, Zahn prowled to the left. The hollow eye-sockets of the lurking knight made it seem like he was watching them accusingly. That didn’t help at all. Reaching the stairs, the trio climbed slowly. One foot after the other, they tested each step. None of them so much as wobbled.
The stairs wrapped around in a long circle. Halfway around, the stone cut off their view of the knight. Not seeing him was even more unnerving than his vigilant gaze. Schooling themselves toward caution, they finally crested the top of the platform.
The knight was facing them.
Once again, Zahn dropped into a guard posture. His gauntlet was raised as if he could draw a magical barrier, though he knew the relic hadn’t yet regained even one of its three charges. It took a little over eight hours for that. Unlike this time-relic, he couldn’t activate it with a minimal essence charge.
For their part, Angelica and Kaylee had frozen below the level of the stairs, using the lip of the platform as cover.
Once again, the knight didn’t move.
Kaylee griped, “That is damned creepy. He should either move or he shouldn’t!”
It took another minute before they dared to move at all. Then, they crept slowly out onto the platform, expecting the ancient knight to strike at them any moment. As they inched forward, Zahn absorbed what he could. The platform was empty save for two major features.
The most imposing was the towering figure of Sir Gawain of the Round Table. His armor was from another age: overly ornate and solid enough to stop a lance from the back of a charging warhorse. Despite its age, the steel was resisting the natural aging of centuries spent in this cave. The moisture hadn’t rusted it. The grime hadn’t caked onto it. The spiders hadn’t coated it in cobwebs. His shield was still resplendent with the double-headed golden eagle on a deep purple background. The colors had faded, but hadn’t vanished. His face was dried, paper-thin skin stretched over bone. Too little remained to see what the knight looked like in life.
Once Zahn convinced himself Gawain was not about to lash out, his focus shifted to the other key feature. He realized he was looking at a massive stone tablet suspended off the rocky floor by a central pedestal. It was angled toward the stairs and away from the knight. The writing on it was being offered to any observer who made it this far.
Keeping spread out a little so no single trap could strike them all, the trio got close enough to read the words on the tablet. The inscription was in English, but a dialect from another age. Zahn had difficulty deciphering what he was reading, but eventually worked it out:
Th’re is naught h’re f’r thee to take;
Bearing false treasures, banishment fr’m Camelot was our doom.
Fleeth now, and seekth the fell Staff nay m’re;
Lest one of mine own brethren destroyeth thee utterly.
Zahn clenched his fists. “Those cunning bastards. The Staff isn’t here. It never was. This entire construct was a decoy. They knew others would come after Merlin’s power. They didn’t just hide it. The surviving knights spent their lives laying false trails to confuse anyone who followed.”
Angelica reasoned, “There was real magic here. Gawain must have been given a trace of Merlin’s power in the false staffs. Enough to conjure effects that could kill intruders.” She laid her hand on the tablet, then said with a touch of wonder, “The tablet is so warm.”
Her touch provoked what their voices had not.
The undead remains of Gawain roared into motion. Both his skeletal hands wrapped in gauntlets grasped hold of the oak staff and raised it high above his head. The wooden weapon whistled as it descended in a pounding strike onto the tablet. On impact, the staff sundered into a million splinters. The tablet also detonated, hurtling thousands of shards of stone and billowing dust across the platform. A thunder punched into Zahn’s ears, deafening him.
All three had launched themselves away when Gawain moved, getting some distance and then curling up to protect their vitals. None of them were totally caught off-guard; they’d been waiting for the knight to betray them one last time. The hasty retreat saved them from death, but not from pain. Sharp rock and wood shrapnel raked their legs and back.
The thunder echoed around the cavern, p
unishing their already hurting ears. Three and then four sonic waves blasted over them, then waned into silence.
Zahn tossed his head, struggling to shake away the shock and dust covering his hair. Ringing was rattling around in his ears. He growled out loud, testing if he could hear himself, the women, or Heather’s reply. “Heather, Gawain just blew up a stone tablet right in ours faces. I think we’re all alive, but…” He worked his jaw, trying to clear his ea r. “…not sure we’ll be able to hear you for a while.” His eyes went to the knight. The dead knight was now collapsed on his knees. All feeling of life had fled from it. Gawain’s remains looked truly inert.
He heard what sounded like a distant whisper in reply. He couldn’t make out what Heather said back to him, but at least she sounded relieved and calm.
That done, Zahn struggled to make sure he hadn’t lied. He crawled over to Angelica and Kaylee, brushing debris off them and making sure they were alright. It took time, but the three of them worked their way back to their feet. They were all bleeding from a few dozen small wounds, but thankfully nothing major. Kaylee’s injuries were already starting to close with the aid of the pansalve. Zahn buried the pain in his mind until she could turn the healing power on him. Angelica did the same, once again impressing the veteran relic-diver with her grit.
They approached the fallen knight, and stood a long moment in mournful vigil.
When she spoke, Kaylee yelled a little to be heard. “What now? The Staff is fake, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lars is out there holding our mothers hostage. If we come back empty-handed, he’ll kill us all in frustration.”
Angelica added, “Whether that blast was meant to kill us or not, we’re still trapped in here. This cavern is the final trap. We were never meant to leave.”
They’re both right , Zahn knew. Letting the puzzle simmer in his mind, he became aware that some of the knight’s magical essence wasn’t fading. While Gawain had been animated, his entire body had glowed softly with magical light. But the Eye of Ra was still picking up the outline of two distinct relics on his person.
