Chapter 12

  The Dark Below

  “It’s like an abandoned mine shaft,” Shamil marveled as Arv spirited them through the tunnel.

  “Bah! Old Gods send they made it properly!” Hilda said from beside the Howdah. Elle couldn’t make out her eyes from behind the ornate dwarven helm, but she was certain that Hilda was inspecting the wooden support beams even as they ran.

  The air grew colder the deeper they delved, and it didn’t take long for them to find the first body. The human man lay slumped against the rough stone wall, his head snapped to the side, eyes wide and vacant. He wore the colors of Lord Nero’s house, but his uniform was more ornate than that of the soldiers they encountered in the hall above.

  “The Iron Guard…” Elwin muttered as she slid to a stop, “My father’s personal retinue.”

  “Keep going! I can hear them!” Cretin growled as he grabbed Elwin by the arm. Indeed, sounds of fighting echoed from the cavern ahead. Screams and shouts mingled with the loud clang of steel on steel. Elwin and Valdora led the squadron’s charge as they barreled around another corner. Finally, they found him.

  Just ahead of them, an older man in ornate robes stood huddled against the side of the tunnel. Soot and dark splatters of blood had soiled his fine clothing. Three more guards lay dead at his feet, their bodies a broken mess of armor and flesh torn apart by the spiked head of a flail. His eyes were wide with panic as he looked down at his men, and he cried out in fear as the monster that towered before him took another step closer.

  “Father!!” Elwin screamed, her voice cracking.

  The beast stopped dead in his tracks at the sound of Elwin’s voice. Slowly, he turned his head toward Lord Nero’s would-be saviors. The squad formed their line and raised weapons as the massive beast regarded them with amusement. Coarse hair covered his entire body, leaving nothing but his mouth and ears free. He looked frighteningly similar to Cretin. A beast of a man. But he lacked the humanity that Cretin held so dear.

  “Ah…the half-bred bastard child.” He spat as he focused on Elwin with gleaming, bloodthirsty eyes. Blood dripped from his lips and Elle could see where some of his yellowed teeth had been knocked out in combat. Their absence did nothing to bother the creature as he continued to growl in his broken, heavily accented Common,

  “They told me you were off playing soldier…” he sneered, turning his back on the trembling man. Lord Nero looked ready to collapse from shock.

  “Touch him…and you die,” Elwin snarled, fiery venom dripping from her voice. She raised her sword in challenge. And, to Elle’s absolute shock, it began to glow. How long had she been able to do that?! Neyra gasped from her side as it continued to shine, illuminating the tunnel with a pure, soft light.

  Valdora stood tall as he stepped to Elivera’s side, his spear raised. The light of Elwin’s weapon glowed just beneath him, casting sharp shadows across his face.

  “Surrender…now.” He growled, his voice resonating with a deep timbre that seemed almost unnatural coming from the human man.

  “Hah!” the beast barked as he hefted his dripping flail in clawed hands. “And deny my master both Neros? I think not.” His voice slipped into a gurgling growl as he flexed his shoulders. The tattoos that covered his hairy arms still pulsed with sickly light. With no warning, Elwin screamed and charged at the beast.

  The woman’s rage and grief fueled her as she surged forward, illuminated by the light of her blade. Valdora and Kaida rushed in behind her, joining her voice with battle cries of their own. Hilda whooped and barreled forward, her shield raised and her axe at the ready.

  “Get to Nero!” Valdora roared as they engaged the creature. Arv fell in behind Hilda as she raced further down the tunnel. She blocked a hit from the beast’s flail as she slid past, her armor scraping against the stony cavern floor. Arv struck out with his trident, trying to catch the beast’s arm mid swing, but the creature was fast, extremely fast. He repelled the attacks of their entire squadron with an unnatural ease. Even the arrows and bolts shot from their ranged fighters were deflected with an almost casual grace.

  Elivera cursed, lowering her bow as he knocked another arrow straight out of the air with his frenzied attacks. It was no use. Her sword would serve her better here. Ahead of them, Hilda had Lord Nero slung over her back like a limp sack of potatoes. Both his head and his legs dangled dangerously close to the ground (such was the risk when being rescued by a dwarf) But she bore his weight with ease, holding him tight with her shield arm. She still held her axe defensively as she waited for an opening. Elle would just have to give her one.

  With no room for theatrics in the tight quarters of the tunnel, Elivera had to settle for merely sliding down from the Howdah. She drew her sword with a flourish, meeting Hilda’s eyes,

  “Go! Go! Get him out of here!” She yelled over the din of battle. She shouted a rallying cry and surged ahead with Cretin and Arv at her side. Together they pushed against the bugbear’s sweeping attacks, clearing the way for Hilda to escape with Nero.

  Elwin spared them the briefest of glances as Hilda clanked by with her father in tow. Elle noted the relief in her eyes and, sure enough, she felt that same relief bloom in her own chest. They had him. He was alive. Now they just needed to get out of here alive.

  The wicked general roared out in pure fury and rage as he saw his quarry escaping down the tunnel. He attacked even more recklessly, focusing his fervor on Elwin and her glowing blade. But Elwin met that fervor with a fire of her own.

  She was resplendent, her sword forms moving so fast that they made nothing more than a glowing blur in front of her. Beside her stood Cretin, his mace swinging out protectively to catch any flail strikes that fell too close to her. Kaida and Valdora focused the legs, trying to make the creature lose his footing with their greatspear and warhammer strikes. Together, the captain and his lieutenant made a deadly harmony, attacking with a synergism that seemed almost unnatural. Arv stood his ground behind Elle, giving her overhead cover with his shield.

  More than once Elivera heard the telltale crack of that shield doing its job. Her heart swelled with appreciation for the protection from her big brother. A small bolt of fire whizzed past her and struck the leg of the bugbear, sending the scent of burnt hair to her nostrils. She felt that same pride and appreciation for her big sister as she followed up on the burning attack, striking at the charred flesh with her rapier. The dark beast howled out in agony, and the glow of his tattoos flickered. He seemed to finally feel the pain that he so greatly deserved.

  Elle snarled as she pressed in even harder, her squad mates advancing in kind. Tears streamed from her burning eyes as she struck his flesh again and again and again. This was for Riza. For her big brother, for Shamil, for her big sister, who didn’t even want to be dragged into this mess! This was for the life the shadow stole from her when their clouds first touched Piria’s shores. She would make them pay. They would pay.

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  Arv roared and Cretin bellowed as their weapons struck the beast’s chest at nearly the same time. Arv’s trident sank between ribs with a vile squelching sound. But the prongs didn’t remain long as Cretin followed with a swing of his mace. The concussive force of his blow sent the beast flying backward and off of Arv’s trident. Three scarlet fountains of blood trailed through the air as he flew, crashing into a support beam with a sickening crack.

  Cretin and Elwin rushed in to finish him as the bugbear stumbled once more to his feet, legs shaking and chest heaving. He screamed in fury as he raised his flail in a last desperate attempt to destroy them. His tattoos glowed as he swung with all the meager strength left in him, and the great barbed heads of the flail struck something solid with a loud, sharp crack. They had sunk into the wood of the support beam just above his head, stopping his swing just enough for the handle to slip from his bloody hands. He stumbled at the loss of balance. Then the flail swung and fell from the splintered remains of the beam, hitting him squarely on the head. There was a small puff of dust as the body slammed the tunnel floor. His tattoos finally winked out.

  “Well, that was unexpected,” Cretin said from behind his tusks, his chest heaving from the exertion of the battle. He and Elwin looked down at the body in disgust as the rest of the squad fell in. Elwin sheathed her sword and knelt on the ground, panting in exhaustion. She spat on his corpse.

  “Rot in the hells, you filth,” she said, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, “And tell them who sent you.”

  Cretin grunted in approval at her words and patted her on the back with a giant hand. Valdora took a deep breath and nodded.

  “Well done,” he said, “Cretin, bring the body. I don’t want to stay here any longer than we have to.” He turned his icy eyes up to what little remained of the beam. As if on cue, a deep rumble echoed from the depths of the cavern. Elle swore she felt a tremor in the ground beneath her feet.

  “Elle,” Arv whispered, “Get in the Howdah, now.”

  Elivera didn’t have to be told twice. She clambered up the side of the giant box and settled in between Neyra and Shamil. Neyra looked at her with anxious eyes as the rumbles grew louder.

  Cretin bent down and picked up the bugbear with a grunt, slinging his limp body over his giant shoulder. He nodded to Valdora, and then he ran.

  ***

  Neyra held onto the Howdah for dear life, trying desperately to keep her eyes on the end of the tunnel. The quakes and tremors were picking up in intensity, certainly not aided by the fact that they were all running for their lives down the actively collapsing tunnel. Cold air and dust rushed up from the depths behind them, seeming to lick their heels as they fled. Torches fell from their sconces and clattered into the abyss as the cavern floors crumbled and collapsed, plunging them into an even deeper darkness.

  Arv stumbled as another fissure opened up in the ground right behind them, and the force of the lurch sent the three girls tumbling out of the Howdah. With a sharp cry, Neyra hit the ground, the wind knocked from her lungs. She felt a clattering crash beside her as Elle and Shamil landed just as gracefully. Arv turned back for the briefest Moment, absolute horror on his face as he continued to run. He screamed, but the cacophony of the rocks and earth around them drowned his voice out. Even in her daze, Neyra knew well enough what he was trying to say. There was no time to get back on. They had to run.

  She scrambled to her feet, Elle tugging on her arm as she did so. Shamil was already sprinting, and the two sisters sprang forward in a desperate attempt to catch up. Neyra’s blood pounded in her ears as she ran, each beat seeming to last a lifetime. The ground heaved, and she knew that there would be no stop to this catastrophic collapse until they reached the foundations of the Nero Estate.

  The tunnel exit was just ahead, dim light piercing the dusty darkness. Her lungs burned as she inhaled gulps of the putrid air, desperately trying to push herself forward towards salvation. Arv and Shamil had reached the end along with the others, and they screamed as the Tallfellow sisters ran.

  There was a buckle in the ground behind her and Neyra knew that this was it, jump…or die. She glanced at Elivera, her mouth open with an inaudible scream as she pushed off with her feet. Their brown eyes met, mirroring the terror and pure helplessness that they both felt. Neyra tried desperately to find even the slightest sliver of arcane power to protect her sister, but there was nothing left. The fight had depleted it all. She was spent. And they were about to die.

  The world drifted by in slow motion as the ground fell out from beneath her, bits of razor sharp rubble lacerating her skin as she flew. It should have been loud, it should have hurt, but there was nothing but a numb and ringing silence in Neyra’s ears. The ledge was approaching, and she could do nothing but extend her arms and pray that it was enough.

  Neyra felt her ribs crack as she crashed into the chiseled rock, and her arm bent unnaturally as the force of her landing sent her tiny body into a roll. Her free hand flew out in desperation, raw bleeding fingers trying to find purchase on something, anything. She finally skidded to a stop. Sounds flooded back into her ears in a sudden torrential rush. Gone was the deep rumble of the earth and the booming of rockslides. Now, she could only hear screams.

  “ELIVERA? NEYRA?!” Arv’s deep, booming voice penetrated the dark, dusty air. Neyra lifted her head weakly to see several shapes moving in the darkness. Familiar boots stomped towards her face. He continued to shout as he ran,

  “I found Neyra! She’s hurt! NEY!”

  He skidded to a stop and fell to his knees beside her. Shamil was close behind him, searching the environment with frantic eyes as the rest of the team tailed along behind her. Shamil continued past them and into the dust filled air as Arv bent down to help support her head. He gathered her into his gentle arms, and she could feel how he shook and trembled. Was he hurt? No, just afraid. She felt that pure fear radiating off of him, and it amplified her own.

  As Neyra’s eyes adjusted, she could see that the vaulted ceilings of the Nero Estate were just ahead. The ground underneath her was still rough and unhewn. With a numb mind, she presumed it must have been close enough to the foundations to sustain structural integrity during the collapse. Neyra choked on a sputtering breath and could taste her own blood as it dripped from her mouth. She winced as she tried to lift her head, her eyes searching frantically. Her heart pounded, and her chest felt as if it were in a vise grip. Through the haze of pain and shock, a single dreadful thought filled her mind. She could only force one word out of her broken body.

  “Elle…” she said. She choked and coughed as she willed her lungs to fill again, “ELIVERA!” It came from her as a broken sob as she flung her eyes around the cavern, desperately looking for a sister who wasn’t there among the dust and rubble.

  Arv’s grip tightened around her, and his breathing rate quickened exponentially.

  “Shamil!” He called, “Shamil, have you found Elle?!”

  He waved a hand around in the air as if trying to force the dust to settle. The haze was thicker toward the collapse, but it was clearing steadily. Neyra focused her gaze as hard as she could. She felt within her the tiniest spark of arcane energy, and she shakily reached out, willing it to dissipate the dust.

  The small form of Shamil seemed to materialize out of nowhere as every mote of dust and dirt fell to the ground in one sudden sweep. The gnome stood completely still in her tracks, looking down at what once was the floor of the tunnel. Neyra gasped and wrenched herself free from Arv’s grasp, which had gone weak when the dust settled. Her body barely supported her as she frantically stumbled and crashed her way to where Shamil stood.

  Before them was a monstrous cavern, a fissure in the earth much larger than the tunnel had ever been. There was nothing but jagged rock and darkness in that gaping maw below. A frigid breeze drifted up from the shadows, and it licked at the strands of hair that haphazardly framed the girls’ faces. Shamil turned around slowly and met Neyra’s eyes. For a moment, Shamil’s brown face was empty and hollow, devoid of all emotion. And then her mask fell. Her eyes squeezed shut, and she grimaced in agony as she shook her head.

  No.

  No.

  The most unholy of sounds left Neyra as her entire world crashed around her in one fell swoop. Devastating peals and screams flew from bloodied lips, tearing fresh pain into her broken body. Her legs couldn’t hold her anymore and she collapsed to her hands and knees as she desperately tried to crawl further to the ledge. She had nearly reached it when powerful arms grabbed her from behind, restraining her in a bear hug.

  “Elle! ELLE! NO! ARV LET GO OF ME!” She kicked and shrieked and pled, but to no avail. She felt Arv’s chest tremble with his own sobs as she continued to thrash in his grip.

  “Neyra, Neyra STOP!” He wept, “Neyra-you can’t, we can’t…” he trailed off for a moment as he tried to choke out the words, they left him in a defeated whisper, “Neyra…she’s gone.”

  The End of Part I