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The part he forgot to mention? “What about the monsters?” When lightning flashed, I could see the damage they’d done. Buildings missing chunks. Some burned. All of them dark caverns that could hide anything. The boom of thunder seconds later showed the storm not quite overhead.
“My soldiers cleared this whole area. We just haven’t reopened it because the outer wall still needs repairs.”
“Shouldn’t we have come during the day, after the storm?” I didn’t need to say that monsters came at night.
“It’s best this way. We’re less likely to be seen.”
A reply I didn’t understand. “Where are we going?”
“The tunnels I mentioned. Long ago blocked, but still intact as far as I know.” He whispered against my ear, and I shivered. I shifted enough to nuzzle the underside of his jaw. His arm tightened.
Our iguamel slowly stomped its way into a stable with holes gaping in its roof. Daksh slid off the iguamel first and then reached for me. I slid into his arms, a jolt of pleasure bringing my gaze to his. For a moment, he appeared as if he might kiss me, but a giant yelled, “Are we tying them up?”
Daksh grimaced, clearly annoyed by the interruption. Probably wishful thinking given he turned to address the group. “Leave them tethered. I’ve made arrangements for their care.”
The corshmels and iguamels were tied and packs grabbed as our group prepared. They didn’t appear to have any questions about our mission. Being asleep for a day and a half had left me out of the loop.
Daksh led the way, flanked by two of his men, Aber and Keen. They wore the veils and saw everything. They had a pair of long daggers each and bows strapped to their backs. They had the smallest packs. Qynn had a bulging satchel, and Kya carried an oversized bag. The giants drawing up the rear travelled light, as did Jrijori. My uncle ranged ahead, out of sight.
“I don’t like this,” I whispered to my mentor, clinging tight to her hand. The wind didn’t hit as hard between the buildings of stone, but seeing was almost impossible. It was only the constant flashes of lightning that kept us moving forward.
“Shh.” Her gaze darted left and right as if not trusting the empty buildings.
With good reason as it turned out. The monster burst out of one just as a huge branch of lightning lit overhead. Aber barely had time to block the blow of the giant scorpion’s stinger.
Boom!The thunder crashed quickly, and the scene took on a surrealness. The rapid flashes of lightning showed Aber sparring with a scorpion while Keen held off another.
Daksh had his sword out and a glowing dagger too. He kept an eye on the spider that chose to creep out from a window and cling to the stone. Palla ran in and had no fear stabbing at a scorpion. The giants whooped as they handled a few more.
Kya remained guarding me and Qynn, but Jrijori suddenly appeared, his silhouette enhanced by the flash of light from behind. With his sword extended, he dropped onto an oversized bug, impaling it. Palla whooped as she took the stinger off another. Qynn flung a powder at the bug that lunged at us, and I unfroze to stab it in the eye deep enough it dropped dead at my feet.
Everyone fought, even the King. He stood over two twitching hairy bodies with too many legs. His sword and dagger glowed, the elekium awake.
The wave of monsters lay dead, but Daksh pointed with his drawn blade. “We need to go. There’s more coming.”
We didn’t walk; we ran, aiming for a tavern of all places. The door was askew, its sign lying on the ground in front of it. I read the chipped glowing letters as we trampled inside: The Hangry Shrew.Described me when I missed a meal.
The gloom inside the tavern had me shivering despite my heavy cloak. Someone lit a lantern, and the room came into instant view. The tables had been flipped. The benches broken. Sour wine didn’t completely mask another putrid stench. It took Kya muttering, “Smells like dead bodies,” to realize what I inhaled.
I almost started choking. I definitely covered my mouth with a portion of my sleeve to filter the smell. Daksh didn’t appear bothered as he headed past the common room to a kitchen. His men knelt on the floor, tapping with the hilts of their swords.
Aber must have liked the sound in one spot because he tapped it several times before giving a nod to his king.
Daksh waved them aside. “Cover your eyes,” he ordered.
I did, mostly. I also peeked via a tiny slit because I wanted to see what he would do. Hammer the floor? Perhaps Qynn had given him an explosion potion. I’d never made one, but I knew of the recipe.
Daksh held out his hands and they glowed as he placed them on the stone Aber had tapped. He hummed, or so it seemed, the tenor of it making the hairs on my body stand up. What was happening?
The floor under my feet rumbled, and my eyes widened in alarm. In my experience, that never ended well.
Rumble. Thunk. Crack.Ominous and yet short-lived as a section of flooring fell, leaving behind a dark hole.
“We’ve got company,” Jord announced. “And that company has brought friends.”
“Hold them off while we check the passageway.”
“Okay, boys—”
