The Homecoming (Stonecrusher Legacy Book 3), page 23
We head down the tunnel single file with Temp at the front. We enter the cavern, and Mongo starts with a trot. The rest of the party moves at the same speed. After twenty feet into the cavern, two goblin guards come into view at the town’s entrance.
Four arrows of magical energy shoot from the ceiling, two connecting with each goblin. The guards groan as they slump to the ground, no longer a concern.
The clatter of their spears against the stone is more problematic.
Temp and Mongo pick up their pace, increasing to a canter as we approach the dead guards. Two green shields appear as a ram-wedge in front of and beside Temp.
Maggie prepares to barf a batch of her fiery stones at the first group of huts as we approach the front gates, and Mico decides to assist. I feel his energy flow through me to Maggie, augmenting her attack. The small stones grow as they fly toward the buildings, expanding from palm-sized rocks to boulders bigger than my head.
The first lava boulders crash into wood and hide buildings, setting them ablaze as they roll through unimpeded. Fires spring to life as we run by.
The panicked yells of the goblins drown out other sounds in the cavern as we attack from multiple points. Nicodaemus topples the braziers surrounding the town, causing the outermost shacks to become engulfed. He rides onto the ceiling and rains flames as he traverses above the town, setting fires with reckless abandon.
Ook speeds across the ceiling toward the far tunnel to ensure we have an exit point.
A goblin walks in front of the charging duo of Temp and Mongo, to its immediate regret. Temp’s deflective shields absorb the impact and propel the wandering soul back into the shacks.
I’ll need to ask Temp how that’s a passive action.
Maggie and Mico have a system worked out, with him boosting her as she hurls lava stones. Fiery boulders roll through the shacks and down the streets, setting everything they touch aflame.
I stand in the stirrups and scream, “The fire dwarf will burn you all!” as we charge through. I occasionally hurl my axes as well to solidify my notoriety.
“All goblins must die for attacking the dwarves!” I shout as we charge. I extend my hand and shoot a column of fire at a large, engulfed wooden building.
“Trugut is dead! Long live the fire dwarf!”
It’s hard to be inventive.
As we exit the town and race across the flat ground toward the tunnel mouth, five goblins arrange themselves with the butt ends of their spears wedged against the ground. Temp continues to charge at them without hesitation, making my gut clench.
At ten feet away, spiderwebs from above wrap the spearheads and tear them from the grasp of the goblins, allowing Temp and Mongo to crash through the blockade unimpeded.
Temp’s shields catapult the small purple goblin bodies through the air like leaves in the wind as the ramming duo continues into the tunnel at full speed. Once safely inside, Ook and Jules climb down the wall and into the tunnel mouth as guards.
Nick climbs down the wall and into the tunnel next while I charge through the remains of the goblin blockade. With no resistance, I continue unimpeded.
I look back at the goblin town as I slow to a trot.
Acrid smoke billows from every quadrant, blanketing the stalactite-laden ceiling like underground clouds. The deadly flames dance from rooftop to rooftop, sharing their warmth whether it’s wanted or not.
“I don’t think their town will make it through the night,” I observe. “Nice job, team. Now they know we’re here.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Tempress
Mongo and I enter the tunnel and continue for another twenty feet before we stop, giving the rest of our group plenty of room. As soon as Waldorf is in, Ook will follow, leaving the grand mage until the end. That’s his plan, so he can cause a cave-in to protect us from a counterstrike from the rear.
Nicodaemus’ spell works differently than Nerak’s, but it gets the job done. The stone turns to mud and rapidly slides to fill the tunnel, hardening back to rock as it sets. I keep my shield between Nicodaemus and the tunnel mouth to deflect the goblins’ spear throws.
The grand mage completes his spell and gestures forward. “The tunnel is sealed, and it’ll take them a few days to dig through. Let’s not waste any more time here.”
Ook and Jules corkscrew up to the ceiling and speed ahead, with Waldorf and I following. Nick rides close to us, which is odd when the plan is to trail us.
Waldorf must have noticed as well because he calls over his shoulder, “What’s on your mind, Nick?”
“During our planning session, you said Alghar told you the troglodytes had an item belonging to the dwarves.”
“That’s right. The All-Father said we need it.”
“Did he tell you what it was?”
Waldorf twists in his saddle. “That was the weird part. He stopped replying when I asked, which is out of the norm for him. I’m sure we’ll get more information when we get closer to Schist. He’s always good at telling me what I need to know when I need to know it.”
“Then I suppose we ride ahead,” Nick replies. “It’s good to know Alghar’s watching. It calms me.”
Waldorf faces me. “Temp, does the goddess Tothena ever speak to the elves?”
“Not to me, nor have I ever heard of her speaking with others. Maybe her relationship with her people is different.”
“It’s possible, but doesn’t it make you wonder?”
“From time to time, but I have faith she’ll take care of me when I need it.”
We ride in silence after that, listening to the sound of Mongo’s hooves crunching the loose stone underneath. Maggie doesn’t make the same noise since her lava hooves mold around the rocks and absorb them.
Nicodaemus continues to ride with us for a while. With the tunnel sealed, there’s no call for a rear guard.
Although my sense of time is off, I’m sure we’re due for a meal. The low rumble of Waldorf’s stomach reinforces my thought as if on cue.
“Do you want a stick of jerky, Waldorf? It sounds like your gut might.” I hand him a few pieces of meat. “We’ll need our strength if we’re going into battle again soon.”
Waldorf takes the meat and rips off a big piece. “Good point. Nick, if you keep an eye on Temp, I’ll ride ahead and find Ook.”
“No need, Chief. There’s a cantrip—an entry-level spell—I can use to call him back.” Nicodaemus casts the cantrip and whispers a message. Five minutes later, Ook and Jules return.
I hand Ook and Nick more jerky, and we pass the waterskin around. It’s not palace fare, but it’ll do in the depths of the dark realm.
Ook tears off a piece of cured meat. “There’s a spot ahead where we will have more space. It looks like the tunnelers unearthed a mineral deposit at the side of the tunnel and mined it out, which left a small cave.”
Waldorf hands the waterskin to Nick. “That sounds perfect. Let’s head there and see if we have any treats in our saddlebags.”
I ride beside Nicodaemus while we travel to our eating spot. “That’s a handy spell, Nick. What’s the range?”
Nick grins. “Handy is an apt description. It will go farther for me than for others, but in general, it’s several hundred feet.”
I flash him my best smile. “Would you be willing to teach me that cantrip once we have time?”
“Of course, Princess. Just like old times.”
“I was thinking the same thing.”
We arrive at our dining room, which is nothing more than an alcove where we can lean against a wall and rest. There isn’t much space for everyone to fit in, so we stay in the tunnel. I grab my saddlebags, which Kal and Ker packed, to see what foodstuffs they sent. The boys head down both ways in the tunnel for now, keeping watch.
“Not much here, but it should sustain us all until we’re back with the clan. The twins packed a few different fruits and vegetables that won’t last more than a week. We have a small sack of basic grains and a loaf of bread that feels like it’s been there a while.”
“That will do fine for us,” Mico says.
I pull out a soft, cloth-wrapped package at the bottom of the saddlebag. “Saterei and Mico, the twins also found you branches with green leaves! They probably grabbed them from the valley before we fled.”
Saterei claps and smiles. “We’ll have to thank them when we’re back together. We can share the leaves with Mongo if he likes.”
“He can go a long time without eating. As long as he’s not suffering, I prefer to keep you two fed.” I retrieve one last package. “There’s another small sack here that feels like sand or dirt.” I pull it out and present it to the group. “Coffee! Just for you, Waldorf, I’m sure.”
He chuckles and shakes his head. “Love those twins. They’re the best sisters a guy never had.”
I check the other side of my saddle bags and find the fixings to brew the coffee, plus a few mugs and a bowl. Those twins think of everything.
Nick waves. “No fires if we can avoid it.”
“A little late for that,” I reply, and everyone snickers.
In minutes, we have a new pot of coffee ready to drink.
Waldorf has his fire armor off and his mug in hand. “This smells lovely! I didn’t realize how hungry I was until that aroma hit my nostrils.”
“The pot is all yours. I’m good with jerky and water.” Ook rips off another mouthful.
Waldorf takes another slab of cured meat. “Eating jerky for this entire trip might be enough motivation to end it as quickly as possible.”
“At least the water is always fresh,” I reply.
He rolls his eyes as he leans against the tunnel wall. “Do we also need to give the mounts jerky and water?”
Nicodaemus takes a swallow of coffee. “The spiders are fine. Even as real spiders, they can go weeks without water and months without food. As magical creatures, they can probably go longer. Mongo will need to eat an apple or two, and we can pour water into a mug or a divot in the rock. As far as Maggie goes, I would ask her.”
Waldorf’s eyes become unfocused for a minute before he comes back to us. “She’s absorbed a few stones as we walk that have certain minerals in them but asked if she could use our dining room since we’re in the tunnel. She smells minerals in there that she finds tasty.”
Everyone nods, and Waldorf lets her know.
Maggie enters the small cave and expands her lava form over the walls, floor, and ceiling. Intense heat radiates from the cave, forcing us to back away. The color of her lava changes from orange to yellow to white, then returns to a consistent orange-yellow. After a few minutes, she reforms into her lava version of Mongo. She rests her head between her hooves and takes a nap.
I look at Waldorf. “Well? Did she find what she was looking for?”
“She says thank you. She’s delighted right now and wants to rest a moment. I guess we do the same after a big meal.”
“What was in there?” I ask.
“I don’t know exactly, and she might have a different word for it anyway. All I know is she became excited when she smelled it, and I felt her immense contentment after she ate. Once she finished eating, she fell asleep, for lack of a better description.”
“I’m glad she’s happy.”
Waldorf tucks the remainder of his jerky in his pocket and sips his coffee. He sighs as he tilts his head back and closes his eyes.
“What’s bothering you, tough guy?”
Waldorf chuckles. “I hate to say it, but I was getting used to dessert after a meal. I wish that jerky pouch could make a cake.”
I make a show of reaching in and pulling out nothing. “Sorry, tough guy, but no dessert for the Sui Gheneris.”
Waldorf looks let down.
I reach into my saddle bag and pull out a small container I’m saving for later. “You know you act like a man-child at times, right? Dip your finger in this, but only once. We need to make it last.”
“Honey!” Waldorf cries in excitement. “You’re holding out on me.”
I shake my head. “No, I’m rationing our food like an adult and will continue to do so. Now, hand that honey back. No more until later.” I return it to the security of my saddlebag.
Waldorf drains the rest of his coffee and cleans out his mug. “Are we resting, or are we continuing, Nick? I’m unsure how far we have to go before Schist, but I don’t want to be down here in the dark realm longer than needed.”
“Schist is still a day or two away, according to Mellefleure’s map. It wouldn’t be wise to travel through the dark realm at night, although their sense of day and night are different. It looks like Maggie’s dinnertime enlarged and smoothed out the nook. If you give me a few minutes, I can make it into a safe spot for us to rest.”
We give Nick the requested space and time, and in five minutes, we have a cozy spot to recuperate. Maggie changes into her snake form and slithers through a crevice, returning to her hidden lava pool. The spiders and Mongo join us in the cavern. One last spell and Nick declares us sufficiently hidden.
The following day brings more exciting food. We have a delicious breakfast of jerky and water, a piece of fruit, and Waldorf’s favorite—coffee.
While we break our fast, we renew our conversation about Schist.
“You’ve been there before?” Waldorf asks Nick.
“I’ve only seen this part of the dark realm on a few maps, and that was long ago. If memory serves, we should arrive at the approach tunnel later tomorrow. If not, the next day for sure.”
“What’s the city like?” I ask.
“I asked Mellefleure before I left to give us up-to-date information. She said it’s rough-hewn from the surrounding rock, with most of their buildings being caves outside the massive cavern. The central buildings are stacked stone.”
“So, setting it on fire is not an option,” Waldorf says.
“Correct. I’m also not thrilled with riding on the ceiling or walls because their lizards also have that capability. Melle mentioned they have breeding caves for their lizards and a few other pens for domesticated animals. Their society isn’t dissimilar to any other. There is a governing body, a merchants guild, and so on.”
“If they’re so normal, why do they hate dwarves and elves so intensely?” I ask.
“They hate dwarves because we inhabit their domain, as they see it. They push the other inhabitants of the dark realm out of their preferred areas to live, but dwarves are too strong. Every time they push, dwarves push them back further. Elves like yourself are surface dwellers and not considered a danger.”
“What about those dwarves that live exceptionally deep?”
“There are two other races of dwarves, but they live deeper than the troglodytes care to venture, so they’re left alone.”
We resume our trek toward the troglodyte city, making small talk while keeping a watchful eye for anything that might attack us. With a scout before and behind, there is little chance of anything sneaking up.
Thankfully, the rest of the day passes uneventfully. As Mellefleure recommended, we find an out-of-the-way spot among a stand of stalagmites and fallen rock where we camp, eat more jerky, and rest.
The grand mage says tomorrow will be memorable.
Waldorf declares, “When you start the day with coffee, it will be great. When you have an exceptional brew, you know the day will be unforgettable.”
The grand mage laughs. “I think you’re giving too much credit to your hot beverage. No drink is that good.”
I let Waldorf tip a little honey in his coffee before repacking it. “Nicodaemus, how much farther do we have to travel?”
The grand mage makes an unhappy face as he rips off more jerky. “I can’t be certain, Princess, but my best guess is we should arrive in the vicinity by midday.”
Two hours into our journey, Ook comes back and calls a halt. “There are patrols. I saw one and had to wait for them to leave before I could come back and warn you.”
“How far up the tunnel?” Waldorf asks.
“Their turnaround point is a half-hour ahead. There are no tunnels that dissect this one so a patrol can’t ambush us. We need to figure out how we’ll get past the patrol and on to the city.”
Waldorf shrugs. “That’s easy. We kill them.”
“Agreed. I like your style, Chief,” Ook replies.
“Wait a minute,” I interject. “There must be another way. Maybe the spiders can shoot webs at them and hold them in place.”
“That’s when we kill them?” Ook asks.
“No!” I exclaim. “I’m trying to avoid killing them.”
Waldorf looks at me seriously. “Temp, you’re on the wrong mission if that’s your goal. This is the ‘kill ’em all’ mission.”
The three dwarves silently stare at me. They’re waiting for me to argue.
I nod in resignation. “I’m sorry. You’re right, of course, and I knew that when I joined this mission. My heart naturally migrates to saving lives.”
Waldorf takes my hand in his. “That’s one of the things I love about you, Temp. Right now, we must kill as many troglodytes as possible to turn Aenor’s magic eyes on me, not our clan. Besides, we’re on a quest, remember? Alghar wants us to retrieve an item from here.”
“What was that item again?”
“No clue, but I’m sure the All-Father will let me know pretty soon.” Waldorf becomes silent and unmoving. “Right, Alghar?” He waits another minute. “Okay, the All-Father isn’t ready to tell us yet, but I have faith. When he’s ready, we’ll know.”
Nicodaemus rides his spider ahead. “I hope he feels ready soon.”
The dwarves plan an ambush for the troglodyte patrol, attacking when they reach their farthest point from Schist. They tell me to hang back, which suits me. I ask if we can save the lizards when the time comes, but Nicodaemus explains that the riding lizards are bred for battle and won’t stop fighting even when their rider is down.
Both troglodytes fight back, as do their lizards, but the ambush plan is well-thought-out, and the skirmish doesn’t last long.
