All of them looked at one another as the feeling of dread hit. The children appeared scared almost immediately, apprehension clear on their faces. Niamh's eyes welled up with tears.

"Ok, let's go. The orb's magic will draw it closer," said G, urgency edging his voice as they left the cellars, now plain and dingy in the dim light.

G and his friends stepped out of the Tavern into the underground city of Mirbor. The distant sounds of battle reached their ears as hobgoblins and goblins fought against the sewer creatures. G's group had to move quickly to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Gerkag's two troll guards led the way as they ascended the stairs and ramps, the group trying to stay out of sight of other ramps and bridges where possible. The children huddled together nervously, with Niamh wiping away tears from her eyes. G noticed Niamh's fear and paused. He bent down and gently picked her up. "Here, Niamh, let's get you to a safer place." He placed her on Bitsy's broad back, much like a large bear. Her shoulders were easily large enough to hold the small rock gnome. "Hold on tight to the strap supporting Bitsy's armor, alright?" Niamh, her eyes wide with a mix of fear and excitement, nodded and gripped the strap firmly.

"Bitsy, stay invisible," G commanded. To his relief and delight, Bitsy complied, and Niamh vanished along with the creature. Niamh gave a fierce grin at her siblings below, showing a rush of confidence and security on Bitsy's back. As Bitsy faded from view, the others glanced around nervously, unable to see the giant creature. G, however, could still see Bitsy, and the sight of Niamh's fierce grin reassured him.

They moved through the shattered and destroyed remnants of the goblin stalls as they crossed the Muck Town market. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burnt wood and the stench of rotting refuse. Broken bits of trinkets, twisted metal, and splintered wood littered the ground, evidence of the chaos that had erupted in the district.

G's eyes scanned the debris as they moved. Amidst the wreckage, something caught his attention. It flickered ever so slightly under a bit of cloth in a crushed wooden crate. He bent down and picked up what looked like a slightly bent stick from a pile of shattered goblin goods. His eyes widened in shock as he realized it was an actual wand, something he hadn't expected to find here.

Wand of Fireball

Durability: 1 of 30

Charges: 11 of 20

Description: This wand, once a polished and elegant magical instrument, now bears the marks of heavy use and magical mishap. Its surface is scorched and cracked, with faint runes that flicker weakly, hinting at the powerful magic it once contained. The handle is wrapped in a filthy, tattered strip of leather that reeks of goblin musk and mildew. The tip of the wand is blackened, with a faint, almost imperceptible red glow emanating from within the cracks. Despite its damaged state, it still holds a residual potency, capable of unleashing fiery destruction.

This wand casts the spell Fireball.

Spell: Fireball

Level: 4th

Casting Time: 1 second

Range/Area: 45 meters (6 meters radius)

Duration: Instantaneous

Damage/Effect: Fire (5d-8d)

G turned the wand over in his hands, feeling the lingering warmth of its magic. Despite its condition, it was a rare find. However, given its damaged state, he was unwilling to risk using it. With a sigh, he placed the wand in his inventory, deciding it was better to keep it for now rather than attempt to use something so precarious. He wanted to study this at some point, if he could learn to make wands, he gave a small smile at the thought as he moved forward again.

G paused momentarily at the first platform and turned back to go up another set of stairs. Dozens of goblins had seen them and scurried away, most looking like they were trying to also avoid the fight and flee. "I can feel Aevum Malum over there. What do you think is happ--" G didn't get to finish his sentence as a large sewer cat, a Sewerstalker, leaped down at them from above, only to be snatched out of the air by the invisible Bitsy with a roar and slammed into the stone platform next to G. Its eyes were black with a slight dark green-black haze over them.

G analyzed it.

Sewerstalker, Cursed minion of Aevum Malum.

Level: 5

Hitpoints: 60

Description: Sewerstalker, a formidable predator of the subterranean domain. Resembling a grotesque fusion of feline and fiend, Sewerstalkers prowl the shadowed recesses of the sewer network, instilling fear in all who dare to trespass into their territory. This one has been infected with an unknown magic.

G's heart raced as he summoned his mace, swinging it downward with fierce determination. Bitsy wrestled with the Sewerstalker, who couldn't see what was holding it down as it tried to lunge forward to bite G. Its health bar faded rapidly until it collapsed in defeat.

"What the heck, it's cursed and follows Aevum Malum?" G asked Tocai.

There was a slight pause as everyone looked at the now-dead creature. Black ooze seeped from it. "The Guardian says that was one of his brothers' abilities, to taint others and take control of them. We need to avoid its magical entrapments."

G's voice was panicked. "What magical entrapments, you mean its bite? Tocai, map us the fastest way to that ship without going near that creature!"

"On it, G," said Tocai.

"And why isn't the Guardian speaking?" asked G.

"He said he had been trying for hours and you couldn't hear him, so he stopped. Perhaps there is something wrong with him; that isn't exactly his normal configuration," replied Tocai.

"Tell him to speak up earlier if something doesn't look right or he has insight into anything. Then you relay it to me for now," said G.

G spoke louder so the entire group could hear him. "He said the eternal evil infected sewer creatures that didn't flee fast enough. We need to be careful. I've plotted the fastest course I can find for you using the ramps and roadways," said Tocai.

"If he could infect creatures, then he could infect us," said G. "Okay, we all need to avoid any contact with any creatures that look like that. I don't know if they are contagious, but the Guardian is saying they are infected by Aevum Malum and will be his to control once that happens."

The trolls were still in the lead, but G was having second thoughts about that. G and Phan, both disguised as elderly dark elves, looked like two aged elves in a strange menagerie. He debated having Phan scout ahead using her shadow elf abilities but decided against it for now since she didn't know what path he intended to take.

"Tocai has a route that should take us around the fighting across the market there. It goes up a few levels, then we go halfway around and take a bridge over to the dark elf district from there," said G.

Kargan spoke, "That takes us across the noble bridge. It will be guarded. We should go down two more bridges. It's less guarded and leads to the lesser noble houses and dwellings. We can follow the walkway once across and avoid most of the guards on the side. There are also a few alleys that might help if they are empty along that side."

"Okay, let's take it that way. Tocai will adjust for that path. We need to be careful of any creatures. We don't want to fight if we don't have to, but we can't let them get close to the kids. Kids, you do not fight. You keep away from fighting. Gerkag, I want one of your guards in the back and one in the front. Kargan, you're also in the back, and I'll be upfront. Phan, you stay with Gerkag and guard the middle so we are not split if something jumps us again." G turned, not waiting for anyone to argue or agree. He had no idea if Phan or Gerkag would fight their own people, but he knew the trolls could. Given their size and the huge cudgels they carried, he wasn't worried about them in a fight.

He moved forward and nodded to the Troll to move forward. Bitsy was with Crewton back by the children. They had both chosen a side to walk on, guarding them. The odd mixture of G's team moved out as he activated his old dark elf disguise to match Phan. They saw several groups of goblins trying to get past hobgoblins who were holding them back on one of the roads leading to another gate. The dark elves must be trying to keep the gates closed. G didn't stop to see how the argument turned out. There were dozens of goblins now and only a handful of hobgoblins. G's group continued; still, nobody stopped them as there were two dark elves in the group.

As they ascended, G's mind churned with worry. Bringing the children might have been a mistake. Could he keep his promise to protect them? What if they couldn't make it out alive? Was it worth the risk?

G's thoughts were interrupted walking down a short roadway to the next set of ramps upward. They reached the bottom of the ramp going up to the next platform before the next district. Four hobgoblin guards stood in their way, watching the distant battle by the bridge gate with concern etched on their faces.

G and his group looked down at the fight on the road to the main gate. They could see the dark elf and hobgoblin magicians and fighters trying to fend off the onslaught of the infected creatures and citizens, but they were slowly being overwhelmed. G could feel the malevolence of Aevum Malum in the air, its presence causing him to shudder.

"Stop right there!" the hobgoblin on the left said, brandishing his spear. He looked at Kargan, then at G and Phan.

G stepped forward, hands raised in a show of peace. "We're just passing through. Our business is urgent."

The hobgoblins exchanged a look before the one on the right spoke up. "It's too dangerous to go up there. You should leave the city while you still can."

Before G could respond, a loud chittering came from the left, at a side road that looked more like an alley from here. He saw movement, then heard more chittering. From the alley came dozens of large sewer ratlings. The guards drew their weapons now and placed their backs to the ramp upward, putting G and his group in front of them as well as the ratling creatures.

G and his group sprang into action. He waved the children back, urgency in his movements, as he glanced down at the squalor of Muck Town below and its various bridges and platforms. Then he cast Briar Patch between them and the pack of scurrying infected creatures.

Several rats scampered along the wall, while a dozen plunged into the briars without hesitation. The trolls had moved forward, their long cudgels ready, smiling as the battle began.

G's pulse quickened as more chittering echoed from behind. He cast a second Briar Patch, blocking that direction off completely.

At least two dozen were either avoiding the patch or leaping from the wall over it. To G's surprise, more than half turned to go up the ramp, engaging the hobgoblins. G's group spread out in a line, half encircling the children with Bitsy and Crewton inside the circle.

The battle was chaotic, with infected creatures attacking recklessly. G noticed a bitten guard turn on his comrades, adding to the turmoil.

A second wave came out of the alleys as the hobgoblins killed the rats that had attacked them and smashed their fellow guardsman to the ground. The infected hobgoblin kept trying to get back up. The second wave wasn't as large, just several goblins that looked like workers somewhere, rolling out of the nearby building and alley. They had a bit more regard for their safety than the rats, but still, two ended up in the briars, dying slowly as they tried to move through it like the rats before them.

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The goblins, with their glassy black eyes and slack faces, were horrifying as they charged the ramp. They were quickly dispatched as the trolls swept their long weapons across the group of goblins like they were clearing brush in a forest. A few flew through the air, landing heavily a distance away. None of them moved, their health bars showing they had died.

G heard a shattering sound and looked down and across at the battle at the gate. A magical shield at the city gate fell or exploded, obscured by Aevum Malum's darkness. It was beating what looked like 20 or more dark elf magicians with their mercenaries helping, too. The dwarves had expected to contain that in a Storm orb? The dwarves had the mana spirit contained in a Storm orb? How powerful exactly was a dwarven forge orb? G looked down at his familiar hanging from his belt for a moment.

He looked back at the three remaining hobgoblins as Kargan stepped forward. One of the guards nodded in reverence to him. "Solok, son of Rakgangun, it's good to see you've made it to the guard."

The hobgoblin with a similar top knot to Kargan nodded. These guards wore chain armor with several plated pieces attached as pauldrons and wrist guards. "Yes, I have. Kargan, we were told you were imprisoned for failure of duty. Nobody believed it. How come you are here? It's folly to go to the noble districts; they will have you in chains again."

Kargan nodded slowly. "Yes, I've lost much since the consort arrived. We wish to go up nonetheless. Will you let your old commander and his companions pass?" Bitsy huffed loudly enough to draw the guards' attention. They shifted nervously, watching her with her armored forepaws and head.

Solok glanced at the fallen infected guard, his voice trembling slightly. "If we stay, we're as good as dead. The Queen and that human are up there, aiming to control that thing wrecking the city. They believe it's the same terror that wiped out the dwarves. They have some binding artifact."

G's pulse quickened as more chittering echoed from behind. He cast a second Briar Patch, blocking that direction off completely. The next fight wasn't anything to write home about other than the infected creatures attacking blindly with no regard for their own safety. G saw that one of the guards had been bitten, and a few seconds later, he turned to attack his fellow guards, causing more confusion.

Another wave came out of the alleys as the hobgoblins killed the rats that had attacked them and smashed their fellow guardsman to the ground. The infected hobgoblin kept trying to get back up. The second wave wasn't as large, just several goblins that looked like workers somewhere, rolling out of the nearby building and alley. They had more regard for the briar spell, but still, two ended up in the thorns, dying slowly as they tried to move through it like the rats before them.

Kargan's jaw tightened when he heard Solok's words. He looked across the open space above the battle still raging below near the gates. "We need to get up there. I'll take my chances with the nobles."

Solok nodded, his voice low. "They still talk about you and the Queen's cousin at court, Kargan. You should avoid going there. She won't forget what happened, and neither will her allies."

Kargan nodded solemnly and started up the ramp to the noble district, the group following. They reformed into their moving order, with a troll at the front and another at the rear. Kargan took his position at the back.

For some reason, G thought it would be less chaotic up top, but it turned out to be quite the opposite. They were in the upper district now. There was one more level above them they needed to reach, but across the gap between this side and the other that had the palace above, there were bridges evenly built that spanned the gap. Several stone buildings smoked through their open doorways and windows. A couple of carts were on fire, and they passed several corpses of dark elves lying in the street. There had been some sort of fight here. G paused to look at one of the corpses. They had been infected; their eyes were black, not the usual dark elf purple or red. He could hear fighting a few buildings over to the left, with screams and the clash of steel. His group hugged the rail, not daring to go near the buildings at this point. They traveled along the road bordering the railing, where they could see across the lower city levels and down to the darkness of Muck Town far below. They passed bridges, the main one guarded and barricaded against their side. Guards defended against infected and people trying to cross; it was pure chaos. His group passed that bridge and the next one, which had a similar barricade.

G's group moved quickly now. The span that Kargan had spoken of could be seen in the distance. There appeared to be fighting on it as several dark elves tried to cross. A couple of carts were on the span, and merchants were fighting the infected citizens and sewer creatures attacking them.

"You sure about this, Kargan?" G asked quietly as the hobgoblin came forward.

"Yes, we need to get across. My old command was on this side of the city. If my men still control this section, they should let us pass," Kargan replied.

G took a deep breath, looking at the several dark elves on the long span of the stone bridge that stretched across the gap. In the city's greenish light, the architecture now looked sinister as screams and fighting echoed sporadically from the city and below.

As G's group approached the bridge, they saw the dark elves and goblins in the center milling about aimlessly. G noticed that their eyes were black, indicating they were infected. The sight sent a shiver down his spine. Their eyes were bottomless pits of darkness, devoid of any spark of life, and their skin had taken on a sickly, grayish pallor that contrasted starkly with the natural hue of dark elves. An acrid, rotten smell wafted toward them, making G's nose wrinkle in disgust.

He signaled to his group to get ready for a fight as both trolls moved to the front, cudgels ready. The infected were not warriors; they looked like common citizens, not even nobles. Their tattered clothes hung loosely on their emaciated frames, and the sound of their labored, raspy breathing filled the air, mingling with distant screams and the clash of steel.

As they got closer, the dark elves turned. Their movements were jerky and unnatural, like puppets on frayed strings. They had small weapons: rusty knives, chipped daggers, and one even wielded a long fork. Their hands shook, and their nails were cracked and blackened, matching the corrupted hue of their eyes. They charged toward G's group with a guttural growls that sounded more like an animal than a person.

The cursed infected elfs appearance was terrifying. Their hair was matted with filth and blood, and their mouths hung open, revealing teeth that were all black. The scent of their bodies and cursed wounds was almost unbearable, a pungent mix of sweat, rot, and a metallic tang of blood. Their cries were a dissonant chorus of pain and rage, echoing off the stone walls and reverberating in G's ears, heightening the sense of dread.

The Trolls braced themselves, their muscles tensing as they prepared for the onslaught. The air crackled with anticipation and the promise of violence as G's group steeled themselves for the fight ahead.

The fight was intense but short. The trolls swept their cudgels, sending one of the dark elves flying off the bridge. He fell without a scream. Another dark elf slashed at a troll with a dagger, but the troll's regeneration healed the wound almost instantly. G cast a couple of mana bolts, hitting another dark elf who staggered back, black blood oozing from the wound.

A close call came when one of the infected dropped its weapon and leaped at a troll, trying to bite him. The troll roared, shaking off the attacker and smashing it with his cudgel. Phan shot a spell at another elf, who went rigid and bounced off the troll, landing on the ground and staring up at the cavern's ceiling far above. The elf still had a health bar, but he wasn't moving.

G observed that the goblins and dark elves didn't bite first like the sewer creatures, indicating they retained some of their mental faculties despite Aevum Malum's curse. He also realized that none of the wounds caused by the infected's knives had spread the curse. The curse seemed to be contained to the infected creatures themselves and not their weapons.

As the last of the infected fell, G's party was the only one left standing on the bridge. Bodies of infected dark elves and goblins lay scattered around them, their small weapons glinting in the eerie light. The bridge was a gruesome tableau, the stench of death hanging heavy in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood and the acrid odor of decay.

Phan examined the carts on the bridge, finding two small hand carts piled with what looked like luggage and household belongings. They had wooden frames and wheels with iron rims. The wheels clattered softly on the stone as he tested them, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent aftermath of battle. "We should take these," Phan suggested. "With any luck, people will see us as those fleeing to a safer part of the city."

G liked that idea. He paused for a second, glancing at his cursed ring. It seemed to have calmed considerably since he had defeated the curse. He could dial up or down its effect with just a thought, and he had it set very low now.

G's group decided to take the two carts left behind by the infected merchants as a cover for their escape. As they moved across the bridge, guilt gnawed at G for fighting and killing infected dark elves. He questioned whether a cure was possible or if their fate was sealed. The wooden wheels of the carts creaked and groaned, adding an eerie soundtrack to their departure.

They reached the other side without further problems. A group of hobgoblin guards stood behind barricades, their iron spears pointing toward G. The guards' eyes were wary, glinting in the dim light as they assessed the approaching group. Kargan walked forward, speaking softly with them for several minutes. The tension was palpable, the murmurs of their conversation barely audible over the ambient noise of distant conflict.

Finally, one of the guards nodded, and they pulled back a section of the barricade to let them through. The G's group turned right, and G could see the back part of the Astral ship above them, its sleek hull reflecting the dim, greenish light of the city. The ship loomed large, a beacon of hope amid the chaos and destruction that surrounded them.

Phan spent a few moments setting the group's positions up to look like two dark elves and their household staff pushing their carts. The disguise worked well; two squads of patrolling dark elf guards passed them by with barely a glance.

They stopped just a few buildings before the Queen's palace. The buildings and streets for the last several blocks had been almost completely empty. They had seen only one dark elf moving quickly away from their direction, giving them a single glance before hurrying on without stopping or asking questions.

G realized he needed to formulate a plan. Things were not as he expected. There was no chaos, almost no people. The buildings on this block looked empty, and all the luminescent lights were out. He didn't want to break in, but he was certain the occupants had all left the area.

He looked at Phan, the only dark elf in their group with some experience here. "What do you think is going on?"

Phan glanced at the nearby building again. "I do not know. I would not have thought they would all abandon the city so quickly." She held up her hand as if listening. "The fighting below has stopped. I think it's a trap. There's little chance a sitting queen would give up her seat of power without half of her legions dying trying to hold it. It's not the way of dark elves."

G turned to Kargan, who looked tired. He had a sword strapped to his waist, one G hadn't seen before. It was just a worn-hilted blade, a bit longer than his last sword, with no magic emanating from it. "We need to find Riclos. Any idea where they'll be holding him in there?"

Kargan looked apprehensive. "I agreed to help kill the consort, but this is not the way. Rushing into what would be the Queen and Ryan's place of power, where he would have the most leverage and help, is a way to die before we accomplish this task."

G nodded in understanding. He had a different plan; they needed to escape the city and take the ship with them. Hopefully, it was fast enough to outrun the rampaging spirit of darkness. He shook his head and turned up the optimism on his ring with a mental nudge. They would do it; they just needed a good plan. "We are going to free Riclos and escape on that ship. It will work," said G with an optimistic tone.

As they continued, G's thoughts grew darker. He knew this was a trap. It had been a trap since the beginning, ever since he felt the malevolent presence of Aevum Malum and Ryan had taken Riclos prisoner. He recalled Breamus telling him he needed to take the ship, and given the nature of the god's previous methods, G hoped there would be a way to win through this mess, even if only a slim one.

Kargan's voice pulled G back to the present. "Riclos will be held below in the dungeon. The palace has one large throne chamber inside and two small rooms in the back for the Queen. Upon entering, one door to the right goes down when looking at the throne. The consort performs rituals down there where he summons demons. The day-to-day palace chambers are in a series of connected buildings on the other side of the garden. The gardens are a courtyard and one of the primary areas the dark elves use for meetings. There are several areas inside the palace along the sides where officers conduct their business. We need to get across that chamber without drawing attention to ourselves. I do not know how we will do that."

G could sense Kargan's apprehension, the weight of the situation pressing down on them. The air was thick with tension, and the distant sounds of battle echoed through the streets, a constant reminder of the chaos outside. The acrid smell of smoke and the metallic scent of blood lingered, making it hard to breathe.

G glanced at the palace in the distance, its dark silhouette outlined against the dim, greenish light of the city. The architecture was imposing, with high walls and spires that pierced high into the darkness above. The thought of sneaking into such a place was daunting, but G knew they had no other choice.

"I have a plan. Are there other entrances to the throne room?" G asked, feeling the start of an idea formulating. He considered dialing up the Ring of Optimism's intensity just to bolster his confidence against the looming danger.

"Yes, there are two doors on each side and the main entrance, which is a large oval doorway that swings into the floor when opened. It generally stays open all the time when the court is in session. It's closed for certain ceremonies, and the chamber can easily hold half the dark elves in this city at one time," Kargan explained.

G nodded. "Is the dungeon entrance between the two right doors?" That would work out nicely if so.

"Yes, there is usually a guard near it," Kargan confirmed.

"Phan, can you use your shadow abilities when we go inside? More specifically, can you take out the guard without being noticed if I can distract the rest of the court?" G asked.

Phan's old lady face squinted at him. "I am here to kill the Queen, not other dark elves. It's not part of my contract." She paused, then added, "I can incapacitate him if you need."

"That works," G said. "Kargan and Phan will go with me. Our main goal right now is to rescue Riclos and get out with the ship. With any luck, Aevum Malum will keep the Queen's men and guards busy below. Our primary focus is those two things: Phan will get her shot at the Queen if she's here, and we'll try to take Ryan if we get a favorable fight. His demon Patron has given him a great deal of power, according to Breamus, so we need to be very careful about that."

G considered the risks. Levels always indicated power; Ryan's level was daunting, demanding extreme caution. Now that Tocai's quest was over, G figured he had more time to plan and come back at Ryan when he was stronger. Their level gap was significant, and he was certain that if Ryan hadn't been trying to capture him, he would have easily killed G the last time they met. Hopefully, Ryan still aimed to capture him. G imagined himself on an altar, Ryan's knife poised. Terrifying.

"Everyone else will go secure the ship once the guards are distracted. Bitsy and Crewton will guard the kids. Gerkag, your troll friends can help you secure the ship. I doubt it will be heavily guarded since they consider it non-usable."

G reached behind his back for the Guardian Sphinx's metallic head. He looked at Ciaran, the oldest of the gnomes. "Your job is to take the Guardian's head to the control deck. There is a panel there with many levers on it. Some might be broken. Place it in the center of that console." G handed it reverently with two hands to Ciaran. The rock gnome adolescent held the large metal head in awe as his brothers tried to push forward for a better look. It looked more than a bit heavy, but one of his brothers took an edge, and they easily carried it between them.

"I need you all to help by being quiet and following Gerkag's orders. Get behind Bitsy or Crewton if there's any danger. Do you all understand?" The gnomes nodded vigorously, affirming they had heard G.

"Let's move. That spirit is still out there," said G. He could feel the dread, but he was feeling good about this plan as the group made its way to the dark elf Queen's palace.