Chapter 39 Finally Back.
“Contact!” One of the guards walking in front of the caravan called out. Organized chaos ensued as the guards resting in the wagons disembarked and split up to cover both the front and rear of the caravan. One third went to the rear and the rest went to the front where the call had come from. Aria and Claus moved to the front as well. They had been lucky enough to get the same adventuring team together on their way back. Keith was a bit slow on the draw but Aria heard him starting to stir. He had been snoring from the back of the rear wagon. Ellem and Eric moved to the rear just in case something was ambushing them.
Claus arrived at the lead wagon just in time to hear: “Damn, do you all have to be so loud?” It was a voice that was all too familiar.
“And bright.” Another voice added. Claus squinted down the tunnel and saw a pair that he hadn’t expected to see yet.
“Claus, can you get these guys to lower their weapons?” Isaac said. His face was wrinkled in a squint against the bright torch light of the front two guards. “Stop waving your torches around.” Isaac ordered the guards. “Let my eyes adjust a bit.”
“Stand down.” Claus told the guards.
Aria stopped next to him and then turned around to call down the caravan. “False alarm!” She called and there was a series of grumbling and swearing as everyone returned to their posts. She waved towards the side of the tunnel and stepped against the wall. Claus joined her and the lead wagon started to move again.
Isaac and Lenna joined them. “Did you get the message from Ben’s End?” Isaac questioned.
“I was talking to them when I heard the alarm.” Aria replied.
“They sure took their sweet time.” Isaac grumbled.
Aria nodded. “Agreed.” She looked between the pair. “Are you going to ride with us for a bit?” She asked.
Isaac nodded. “Sure. I have to fill you in on what’s been going on. I think most of this incident is wrapped up. At least as wrapped up as it can be.”
Aria took a few quick steps forwards and jumped. She hauled herself into the moving wagon she had disembarked from previously. “Come on. We can talk in here.”
—
“Do you know why Tunnel Horrors are called Tunnel Horrors and not something more descriptive like Giant Stone Leeches or something?” Aria asked after Isaac had told her about the duo’s first encounter with one of the legendary mage eaters.
Isaac shook his head. “No idea. Honestly I didn’t even think about it having a weird name.” He confessed.
“The first few written accounts of explorers encountering Tunnel Horrors were terrifying to read.” Aria cleared her throat like she was preparing to read from some ancient text and then put on a scholarly air. “‘A void of death filled with teeth opened from the wall next to us. Our conjured light went out immediately before the gaping maw of nightmares given form reached him. In the blackness all we heard was a scream being abruptly cut off. The grinding of something hard on stone filled the tunnels for a long time after. That sound still haunts my dreams. Often, when we would stop to rest one of us would stop as if listening for something. No one ever said why but we all knew. Our minds were conjuring that sound out of the blackness. We never should have gone down there.”
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Isaac was grinning. Ghost stories had the opposite of the intended effect on him. He was the type of person to find a haunted house and move in just to piss off the spirits so he could fight them. Well, he would if his magic worked on them. “That is way scarier than they actually are.” Isaac replied. “It makes me want to find one. It’s a shame they are just normal monsters.”
Aria gaped at him. “They are a double platinum level threat.” She told him. “Normal monsters my ass.” She huffed. “The one you fought must have been a small one or something.”
“The other one was a bit bigger.” Lenna commented.
Isaac nodded in agreement. “Yeah but not by that much. It was only a little over six feet across. I think the first one was closer to five feet.”
“Other one?” Aria questioned.
“Yeah we fought a second one after the drow ambush.” Isaac explained.
“Drow ambush?” Aria questioned further.
Isaac rolled his eyes. “I was getting there when you interrupted to give me monster fun facts.” He explained. “Now, back to the story.”
Aria nodded. “Right, go ahead.”
—
“So you will need to take a detour at some point.” Isaac explained. “That whole section of the tunnel is riddled with holes.”
“So that’s why.” Aria said. “I was only informed about the need for a detour before you two showed up.” She shook her head in disbelief. “We should check your Status for a curse that attracts danger or something.” She told him. “Maybe a hidden ‘Bad Luck’ stat.” She went on. “This is getting out of hand. And you think I get myself into too much trouble.”
“Usually I would agree.” Lenna cut in. “But this time we did go looking for it.”
Aria sighed. “I feel like our odds of getting attacked have quintupled just because you two are here.”
Isaac shrugged. “Free experience.” Isaac commented and laid back in the wagon. “You guys are going to stop soon right?”
“Another hour or so.” Aria explained.
Isaac sighed and sat back up. “I don’t want to lose that much more ground.” He stretched and stood up on the moving wagon. “Don’t forget to bring the Windwalkers back with you to Safeharbor.”
“Along with all the prisoners?” Aria questioned. “Are you crazy?”
“Use the prisoners as bait or sacrifice them to the monsters if you guys get attacked.” Isaac replied pragmatically. If the three other adventurers didn’t know any better they would think that Isaac was joking. They were all aware that he was not.
Aria sighed. “You know I can’t do that.” She replied. “Just get a move on before you decide to stay for dinner.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Isaac replied and Lenna got up to leave with him.
“Thanks, you two, really.” Aria told them sincerely.
Isaac shrugged and then jumped down from the wagon. “It was fun.” Isaac said. He wasn’t entirely sure if he thought it was fun or not. There were definitely some fun moments but all in all the job kind of sucked. There was a lot of running, boring stake outs, and getting trapped in ultra lethal magical traps, but there were a few interesting fights along the way. “I might’ve complained about it if we weren’t getting paid though.” He commented and waved at Aria and Claus.
“Keep your battle junky out of trouble.” Aria told Lenna.
“Impossible.” Lenna replied and hopped down from the wagon. She threw Claus a glance. “Keep your priestess alive, warrior.”
“It’s harder than you think.” Claus replied and waved at her.
“Hey!” Aria yelled at Claus while Isaac and Lenna disappeared down the caravan. “When was the last time you had to save me from a mimic?!”
—
“Finally back.” Isaac said with a sigh as he and Lenna walked out into the large cavern Safeharbor was in. They still had a long way to go but it was worth it to walk the rest of the way. The view of the city lights casting soft illumination on the red stone of the cavern was an image that neither of them would ever forget. It was also a view that they had seen countless times already and would see countless more times in their lifetimes.
“Yes.” Lenna agreed. She was glad to be back. She was glad to be home. Yes there were problems, and yes there were those that still hated and occasionally swore at her for no other reason than the race she was born as, but it was home. A human city that many would refer to as a bowl of roaches, a horde of mice in a box, or a hive of scum and villainy. It had its charms though. There were plenty of good people but there were just as many bad ones and just like most of the rest of the world, there was a silent majority. She had fought and bled, killed and lived in that city for but a drop in the bucket of time that was her long elvish life, but, it had become home. Maybe that was because that was where Isaac wanted it to be, but maybe, it was because of all of the people there that had welcomed her. She smiled unconsciously at the high walls with their evenly spaced torches.
Isaac stole a glance at Lenna and saw her smile. “It feels like we’ve been gone for a long time.”
“It’s still Alice’s birthday.” Lenna commented.
“Wait really?” Isaac questioned. There was no way that it had only been four days.
“For two more hours. I doubt either of them are still at the Guild Hall.” She explained.
“And all the shops are closed.” Isaac grumbled.
“And all the shops are closed.” Lenna agreed.
Isaac sighed. “Well, better late than never?” He shrugged. “We can get them something tomorrow. What do you think; Sam’s or The Adventurous Tastes?”