MERCS:

Jaelin ‘The Explorer’ Topolski | Trent Wade | Christoph ‘The Bowman’ Gerd

Christoph descended into a pool of oily blackness. He couldn’t touch the bottom, and he suspected the water’s depth was many times his height. Ice cold on his bare skin, it was hard not to gasp out loud; hard not to panic. In every direction were the rock walls of an underground cavern, and they were barely visible. He didn’t know how to get out. His composure fractured, and he swallowed water.

There was a glare of light. Jaelin’s rod. He swam towards it, his sack heavy, threatening to drown him.

The Explorer was crouched on a ledge, slightly higher than the lapping water. Jaelin helped him out, by which point Christoph was shivering uncontrollably. The Livanian took Christoph’s bag off his shoulders.

‘Dry yourself first,’ Jaelin whispered, handing him a cloth already damp from use.

The Explorer then opened Christoph’s bag and pulled out his clothes.

Miserable, Christoph forced himself to mop the water that clung to him, and rub some warmth into his body. He wanted nothing more than to lie down and close his eyes. Then, with fingers unable to properly grip, he put his clothes on. They weren’t completely dry, but better than if they’d been soaked in the icy water. Finally, Jaelin helped him with his armour, fastening the buckles for him.

Wade appeared from the darkness. ‘This ledge runs the full length of the cavern. There are exits at each end. Looks like a total guess which one to take.’

‘I don’t know,’ Jaelin admitted.

Christoph didn’t bother saying anything. They both knew he was clueless. Find his way blindfolded around a farmstead, and he’d be confident of doing alright. But a dungeon full of greenskins? He was clueless. Well, not completely clueless. He drew his dagger. He was pretty confident that was the right move.

Wade decided to lead them in the direction of the mountainside. Here, what looked like a natural opening in the cavern led to a corridor that had been carved from the rock. It ran both ways. Christoph wondered what kind of people had laboured on such a feat. These orcs were likely only the latest residents of an underground realm hundreds of years old.

He and Jaelin waited as Wade turned right. Above ground, Jaelin was the expert. Underground, they deferred to the thief.

He soon tiptoed back. ‘Orc guard patrolling this way,’ he whispered. ‘Get back.’

They retired into the cavern, pressing themselves against the damp rock. Before long, Christoph heard the clomp of a single orc marching in their direction. It didn’t stop to investigate the cavern, just kept on going down the corridor.

‘So,’ Wade said, ‘the way I went leads to stairs down to the next level. I think we should explore this level first.’

‘Agreed,’ Jaelin said.

‘Alright, I’m going to follow that orc. Be ready.’

The thief disappeared, his footsteps inaudible compared to the thump of the orc guard.

Again, they didn’t have a long wait before Wade returned.

‘Alright. On the left is an occupied guard room. I can’t get any farther because of that damned guard marching back and forth. He’s on his way. I say we take him out.’

‘Alright,’ Jaelin and Christoph agreed, willing to let the Durnishman take the lead.

As the footsteps of the orc returned, his dagger hand got clammy. At least I’m not cold anymore, he realised.

Wade let the orc walk past the cavern entrance before he struck.

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ACTION ROUND

Orc Warrior

Orc

Warrior

Action Stats

EXP Level

3

Action Points

5

Hit Points

23

Taking the hulking figure completely by surprise, Wade sank his blade to satisfying effect, scoring ten points of damage. But he couldn’t rip it free again before the warrior swung around to face him.

Jaelin darted in next, landing two stabs in the arm that reduced their opponent to six hit points.

Up next, Christoph’s first strike punched through the hide armour into the orc’s gut. When he tried it again, the blade bent.

And that was it. It was the orc’s turn.

Christoph waited for the roar. He waited for the club to come down on his head.

Neither happened.

Instead, the orc wobbled on his feet.

Realising what was happening, Christoph caught him. Jaelin and Wade helped him lower the orc to the ground without too much noise, though the club clattered to the rock floor. They dragged him, straining with the effort, into the cavern.

Christoph went back for the club. When he returned, he found Wade standing over the orc with his retrieved knife.

‘I don’t think we need to kill him,’ Jaelin said.

Wade looked at Christoph.

‘I agree,’ Christoph said. ‘He will stay unconscious, won’t he?’

Wade sighed. ‘Alright.’ He handed the knife to Christoph. ‘You need a new one.’

‘You should have it.’

‘I have a spare,’ said the thief, pulling a second blade from his boot.

They returned to the cavern entrance with one glance back at the orc. Christoph wondered what some of their fellow mercs would say about leaving an orc alive. But the three of them weren’t killers. Or, at least, not when they didn’t have to be.

‘Best if you stay here for now,’ the thief said, then disappeared down the corridor once more.

When he returned, he had a somewhat bemused expression on his face. ‘I’ve found Queen Brid. She has a throne room at the end of this corridor. A dozen armed orcs in there with her.’

‘No sign of Ashlyn and the others?’ Christoph asked.

‘No. I suggest we try the other exit from the cavern before we decide on anything.’

Christoph was quick to agree. They’d barely dealt with one orc in a sneak attack. They’d be eviscerated by twelve.

They retraced their steps, past the wounded orc, then along the pool until they came to the exit. This one was artificial, and led deeper into the mountain.

After Wade crept ahead a short distance, he gestured for them to catch up. The passageway turned to the right, then continued as far as Christoph could see. Which wasn’t very far. But some light did filter in from an opening on the left.

Wade investigated the opening and returned. ‘A dining room and kitchen,’ he whispered. ‘A few in there, but at the far end. Follow me, and stay quiet.’

They passed the opening, which was illuminated by the flickers of firelight. Wade continued on, then stopped at a door on the right. He stood staring at it for some time, doing nothing. Christoph couldn’t work out why. Meanwhile, those orcs in the kitchen might appear behind them at any moment, and they’d be trapped.

Finally, Wade acted. When the door wouldn’t open, he used a skeleton key on the lock. The door swung inwards, and Wade’s face was bathed in a faint red light. He seemed to smile, then waved them on.

When Christoph got to the door, Wade had already entered. He was presented with a room so long it looked more like another corridor. But shelves ran along one wall. The nearest to the door contained foodstuffs. But further on, these were replaced with armour items, and weapons. One of these weapons had a glowing red pommel.

Redblade.

Jaelin closed the door, and he and Christoph joined Wade. The thief passed the sword to Christoph, who held it aloft, thereby shedding a bit more light.

‘That’s Ashlyn’s sword,’ he said, pointing to a second weapon.

Wade took the second sword. ‘Why isn’t it shining?’

‘I presume,’ Jaelin said, ‘the wargs are too far away. Which in my opinion is a goot thing.’ He moved on, taking a pike, much longer than the other spears in its rack. ‘And this is Breaker. So, we have the weapons. But we’re no closer to finding what we came for.’

‘It’ll be harder to evade this dungeon’s residents if we’re lugging these weapons around,’ Wade warned.

‘Then what do we do?’ Christoph asked.

Neither answered. Because at that moment, the sound of fighting reached them.