Chapter 82: Fleeing

As Alcar ran back towards the double doorway through which they had come, his heart thumping, several thoughts darted through his mind all at once:

> One – the creature that had just emerged on the other side of the round room had looked very much like one of the same trolls that he had relocated using his portal spell back at the bridge, as part of their escape from Captain Chizook and his Imperial troops in the Trollbone Hills.

>

> Two – he was, admittedly, no expert in the anatomy of trolls, or how varied they were. But the ones on the bridge had all looked quite different from each other. He felt sure that this was the same individual.

>

> Three – it appeared that his earlier speculation about the magic had been correct. The portal enchantment hadn’t just caused the troll to disappear. It had spirited it away to a specific place, and the caterpillar to exactly the same place, or close enough.

>

> Four – that probably meant that the other troll wasn’t far away. It could even be up ahead. But...

>

> Five – the small tunnel to the far right of the dusty room with the water troughs had looked too narrow for such creatures to move along.

As they re-entered the dusty room, Etienne slammed the double doors behind him, though it was clear to all that this wouldn’t hold back a creature as powerful as a troll for any length of time, or even significantly delay it.

“Quick, back to the main area!” called the halfling.

“No – we have to go this way!” called out Alcar, who had already made his decision. He sprinted forward, turning right at the passageway at the far end and proceeding up the next corridor.

It was, indeed, only just wider than his shoulders, and it was damp, covered in green algae and slippery underfoot. His companions followed his lead, at least – Brutus was right behind, and he heard the footsteps and panting breath of the others not far after.

“This could go anywhere!” called out Olynka.

“True,” replied Alcar, without looking back. “But at least the troll can’t follow us.”

He decided not to mention the fact that the other troll from the valley could well be nearby.

There was a grunt and a twang from behind, followed by a roar. Alcar realized that Olynka had stopped to shoot at the troll. “Let’s just get out of here,” he shouted back. “I doubt that the trolls were guarding bookshelves.”

A few moments later, they paused. The growling of the troll could be heard behind, but they were now some distance from the dusty chamber, and it was clear that it couldn’t or wouldn’t follow.

“This is nice,” said Etienne, raising his lantern and looking around at the dank, green surroundings.

“Better than being eaten,” snapped Alcar.

“I wonder what was further on that way,” said Leppie. “Beyond that arch.”

“It was promising,” said Olynka. “It really sucks that we couldn’t explore further.”

Alcar grunted in agreement. It was true. The sight of the arch must have something to do with the Dathmiri revolution, it seemed to him, and must connect to the book by Gorba Longtongue. After all, they were in the Dungeon of van Zorika, where the Dathmiri resistance had gathered, and the book was called ‘The lost portal of Dathmir’.

It was all connected.

“Well, we can stay here, but it doesn’t sound like that monster is going anywhere,” said Etienne. “Why don’t we take a look and see what’s at the other end of the passageway, good sorcerer?”

“Right,” said Alcar, starting to walk on.

The passageway continued without widening or curving, though it got gradually damper underfoot. After a minute or so, they came to a set of narrow stone stairs. Alcar began to walk up, and moments later found himself emerging into a new and very large chamber, one that must be a level higher than the area they had been in before. It was easily twice the size of the room in which Alcar had awoken.

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This room had two other entrances. A wooden double doorway marked the center of the southern wall to their right, with an overturned chair lying on the floor beside it, and a smatter of dark blood on the wall nearby, and further benches pressed up against the wall further on.

A further set of stone steps, dryer and slightly wider than the ones they had just come up, was at the far left corner of the room, and this led up to a huge stone platform that dominated the eastern end of the area – a kind of dais or stage, a yard high along its front. At the back of this dais was an open archway, with several crates alongside it. Two goblins were leaning against the archway, and both rose as the companions entered the room, their mouths gaping.

On seeing the pair, the companions stopped dead at the other end of the room. Brutus, however, began to stalk forward with his hackles rising, teeth bared, growling.

The goblins at first drew shortswords, but seeing themselves outnumbered, they both turned and fled.

“Damn it,” said Olynka, hurrying to Alcar’s side with an arrow in her hand. “Pity I didn’t get a clear shot before they got away.”

“Better off without that kind of company, no?” Alcar replied.

“Yeah,” said Etienne, slapping his friend on the back, “but those were guards. They are likely to bring the rest of their tribe.”

Alcar turned to look at the others. “You saw goblins before, right?”

Leppie nodded. “The ones we saw were scouts, most likely, down near where we crossed the great cavern. But they must reside somewhere.”

“Hmm.” Alcar had already begun to look around the great room that they were in. There were further crates near the back wall where they had just entered, though these appeared to be empty. Along both of the longer sides of the room – to their right and left – there were shadowy alcoves in the walls, some with shelves. Together with the dais and the chairs and benches, he got the impression that the area was intended as a gathering place – perhaps an abandoned temple.

“Over there,” said Olynka, who was also glancing around the area. “Books!” she was pointing to one of the alcoves to their left, on the northern side of the room.

“You check them out,” said Etienne, putting down the lantern he was holding. “I’ll go follow the goblins, stealthy like, and alert you if we are going to have more company.”

Alcar nodded. “Perfect. Take a look in that crate up there, too.”

Etienne hurried over to the dais. Alcar, meanwhile, stepped over to the north side of the room with Olynka, while Leppie checked the other side with the chairs and benches. Brutus moved up onto the platform behind the halfling rogue, sniffing. “Stay there, boy,” called out Alcar softly.

The nearby alcoves were each around two feet in width and depth, and were spaced a couple of yards apart. They could at one point have been cupboards, and ran almost to the ceiling of the chamber, which – Alcar now noticed – was curved, like the inside of the dome, and engraved with an image that looked very like one of the statues they had passed: Forox, the elven-looking god of technology.

Olynka was just ahead, and she picked up a book, then quickly dropped it again. “Urgh. It’s wet.”

“Fucking goblins don’t know how to look after a library, I suppose,” mused Alcar.

“No. Look.” She pointed up, and he noticed that a trickle of water was running down the wall, spreading out over most of the nearest alcove, and then running away across the floor towards the stairs that they had just come up.”

“Well, these books are all ruined,” said Alcar, casting his eye over four or five sodden tomes that sat among some damp-looking pots and boxes. “Though by the titles, I don’t think any of them are what we are looking for. But...” He paused, noticing a fine ivory-handled pocket knife. It looked intact, and he stowed it inside his robes alongside the dagger he had pulled from the slain lizard woman.

“Okay,” said Olynka, “let’s try the next alcove.”

Moving to the right, Alcar’s mood brightened; the next alcove was in a better state, and although there were no books to be seen, there were several more wooden pots, all dry. He picked one up, and gave it a sniff.

Meanwhile, Olynka had picked up a small bundle wrapped in cloth. “Arrows!” she said, a delighted smile crossing her face as she opened it. She then looked sideways at Alcar. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“Hmm. Food spices, I think. I was hoping it might be some kind of magical herb. I ran out of my razor root, you see.”

“Razor root?”

“Yeah... It’s some stuff I got from the elven herbalist. Helps me control my sorcery.”

She smiled as she unbundled the arrows and put them into her near-empty quiver. “I had noticed that you had been a bit less chaotic recently!”

“Ha. Well, sadly, I’m out. So until I can get hold of more, Imma just gonna have to do my best.”

Olynka snickered softly. ”Uncontrolled sorcery in a confined space, deep beneath the ground. What could go wrong?”

Alcar scowled. “I’ll be careful, Ola.”

Besides, better that I have it than not.”

Frustrating though his lack of razor root was, he was secretly pleased that he had managed to get some sleep. The use of magical power had been exhausting, and his head had been in agony back at the cavern. Now, he felt ready to try his magic again.

”But talking of which,” Alcar added, as he recalled his most recent enchantments, “how are we going to get back across that cavern? We can slide down a rope, but we can’t slide up it.

“Turns out Etienne’s quite good with technical stuff,” she replied, still poking around in the alcove as she spoke. “He had some sacking and a metal bar in that big backpack of his, and he rigged them up to the rope. We just need someone to turn the winch.”

“So even Brutus could get across?” he said, as they began to move to the third alcove along.

She nodded. “And no need to use up your magic.”

“That’s great! And come to think of it, I have an incantation that I haven’t used for a while. Maluhk showed me it as a way to figure out what equipment might be damaged when we went to the store. Used it when I got this staff.”

“And?”

“Well... could be a quick way to tell which of the stuff around here is worth salvaging. And for finding things what we came for.”

Olynka smiled broadly, pausing and resting her hands on the top of her bow. “All right, then. Go for it.“