The huldra was male, and his name was Katofen. He did not, it appeared, intend any immediate harm, and was now sitting cross legged opposite them. His eyes, previously all black, now showed a sliver of silver in the centre, and his tail was disposed tidily across his lap. Josh was trying to be calm and mature about this, but a small inner part of himself couldn’t stop jumping up and down with glee and thinking it’s an elf! I met an elf! A real, live elf!

“How did you come by your weapon?” Katofen asked, nodding at the staff.

Josh’s hidden glee was immediately doused by a rush of cold apprehension. Of course, the staff must belong to the stone elves, and had probably been crafted by them. The decorations had a stone elf look, now that he thought about it. The Northcrag commander had probably taken it as tribute, or the spoils or war or something. The huldra wouldn't think Josh had any claim to it at all.

He explained about coming across it while retrieving his own pack and weapons during the escape from the guard post.

Katofen nodded, but to Josh’s relief he didn’t immediately demand for it to be handed over.

“You are enemies of the lord of Northcrag,” he said next.

“His guards took us captive,” Josh said, but then he looked at Lady Paleyne, who would have a better idea of the political situation.

“We paid for passage through the caverns in good faith,” Lady Paleyne said, “but, alas, Northcrag betrayed us.”

The huldra’s lips peeled back to reveal teeth with sharp, white canines.

“It is not his right to offer such a thing!”

“We didn’t know,” Josh put in anxiously. “I don’t think anyone knows what the real situation is down here, or the war between you and Northcrag.”

“And perhaps there is not a single one who cares,” Kartofen said coldly.

“I am known at court,” Lady Paleyne offered. Her tone was very neutral. “I can convey a message to the King, if you desire.”

“And will the King’s heart bleed for my people?” Katofen didn’t sound as if he thought this likely.

“It is not my place to speak for His Majesty.”

Katofen turned back to Josh.

“I could not help hearing what you said.” His tone of voice was ultra polite. “Your plan is to lead this party through the Myriad, to the city of Safirbai, and out again to the upper lands. Are you familiar with our caverns, then? Have you travelled through them many times before?”

He had to know that this was Josh’s first time.

“Not exactly…” Josh began, only to be interrupted by Lady Alianne.

“You said you knew the way!”

“I do,” Josh protested. He cast around for a way to explain how he could know the layout without ever having been here before. “There was a map! When I was … uh, I used to play games, pretending to have adventures in the caverns.” He tried to make it sound as if this was a game of make-believe he had played when he was a child, and not something he’d been doing last month.

Katofen’s eyebrows rose.

“A map?”

Lady Paleyne’s attention had also sharpened at the word.

“Yes.” Josh felt his ears getting hot under the stares directed his way.

“The city is held by Northcrag’s men,” Kotofen stated, still in that same polite tone of voice. “How do you plan to get into it?”

“Well, across the invisible … bridge …” Josh’s voice tailed off, as he thought through the implications. “Er.”

In Spiralia Online, the invisible bridge had been a puzzle. The layout changed regularly, but you could work out where the crossable sections were from clues on the walls. If you got it wrong, you plunged to your death in a pit far below.

The problem was that the invisible bridge was a chokepoint.

In Spiralia the Azure Cathedral was instanced, which meant each group had their own version of it, and multiple groups could do it concurrently without running into each other. That wasn’t the case here.

If the Earl of Northcrag’s men controlled the huldra city, that meant they would be able to defend it the other side of the bridge. Even if you knew the solution to the puzzle, the invisible bridge still required time and care to complete. When Josh had done it with the guild group at least two people had fallen off and died. Mostly because they’d been drunk and not following instructions, but still.

Josh tried to imagine what it would be like painstakingly crossing an invisible bridge while under fire from an enemy.

Could they do it with the Hide spells and the cloak of invisibility? No, because in Spiralia the rogue was one of the people who had fallen off. The enchantments on the bridge meant that if you tried to cross it while invisible, you fell through. No-one had been able to work out why that mechanic had been added to the game.

But in Six Spires it made perfect sense.

No wonder the huldra were stuck.

Katofen waited for Josh to think through all the implications and inclined his head.

“Do you even know the key to the bridge?” He sounded faintly disdainful.

“Yes,” Josh said absently, still aghast at the scene his imagination had conjured. “But even then, it would be impossible to get across it alive.” He chewed his lip. “We’ll have to go back, try to get out of the south entrance.” Through three sets of guard posts. His idea to head further into the Cathedral had been a stupid one. Lady Alianne had been right.

Katofen appeared to come to a decision.

“We—the huldra—offer you our hospitality,” he said, rising to his feet. “Follow me.”

Josh stood, because it wasn’t as if they had any choice. Lady Paleyne stayed where she was, but then Josh realised she wasn’t refusing to move, she just wanted him to help her up. The tight way she held onto him suggested she wasn’t fully recovered from the strenuous spell-casting earlier Josh stretched his hand out to Lady Alianne next, but she just glared at Lady Paleyne.

“Pally, are we truly going to trust these savages?”

Katofen had a politely neutral expression on his face, as if he hadn’t heard and understood every word Lady Alianne had just said. Lady Paleyne merely looked tired.

“We have little choice, my lady,” she said. “And if they were going to offer us violence, they would have already done so.”

Lady Alianne scowled, but accepted Josh’s hand and pulled herself upright, all without looking at him.

Travelling through the Myriad led you to three places—the invisible bridge, the Tangle, which was a cave system full of petrified tree roots, and the Undercaverns. During the Spiralia trip, Josh’s group had ended up in the Tangle by accident. Since they were there, they had killed one of the optional side bosses, before finding their way to the invisible bridge. Josh had never seen the Undercaverns, however, which in Spiralia had been widely regarded as a superfluous addition stemming from poor level design. But if the Cathedral was a real place, then it wouldn’t conform to an ideal dungeon layout. That might explain why the Undercaverns had been included. Josh had wanted to go and explore them in Spiralia, but the guild group had vetoed idea, because the bosses didn’t drop anything valuable enough to be worth it. It was a shame, because in Josh's opinion it was well worth exploring.

It was the Undercaverns into which Katofen now led them.

These were formed from the remains of two fossilised dragons locked in frozen combat, but so large that you could never see the whole of either one. It was like the man in a blindfold feeling out an elephant. At one point you would find yourself making your way down a series of massive platelets, and realise that these were scales, the next you would be climbing over a narrow ridge that turned out to be a talon.

They saw evidence of other huldra, flashes of pale limbs from scouts watching their progress through the bones, their black eyes reflecting the light eerily. Josh thought the only reason they were visible was because they had allowed themselves to be seen.

The huldra village was situated at the apex of a long, curving cavern which Josh eventually realised was the inside of a dragon rib. The walls were plastered with a web-like plant that grew occasional bulbs emitting golden illumination, quite different from the blue light of the azure caverns above. A river ran through the rib, curving around the village, and plunging through a splintered crack into a vast darkness below. The village itself looked like it had been grown out of fungi pods, with domed huts scattered across the floor and halfway up the walls.

Katofen stopped them just outside the village.

“You have guest right among us for three sleeps.” He turned to Josh. “The staff you carry belonged to Anatis, who has been lost to us these past three glow cycles, with no word of his whereabouts. His mother will want your tidings.”

Josh swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. He’d been afraid that Katofen would take the staff from him, but at that moment he would have happily handed it over if it meant he wouldn’t have to speak to the grieving mother of its prior owner.

Katofen didn’t give him that option. Instead, he led them through the village. There were many huldra about, mostly congregated in groups outside their huts. They cooked food on hot plates, or worked on craft projects, such as sewing together scraps of leather or carving small stone statues. A few exchanged glances as the group of humans went by, then conferred with each other in low voices. Some, Josh saw as they passed the entrances of the huts, were even curled up and sleeping, seemingly indifferent to the clang of pots and babble of voices.

The mother of Anatis was sitting cross-legged outside her hut, threading tiny shells onto a cord. She didn’t seem that old, but when she looked up Josh saw she had deep lines bracketed on either side of her mouth, and he could see the weary exhaustion of constant grief in the shadows of her face.

If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Katofen spoke in a burbling, musical language, before seating himself opposite the huldra women, and motioning to Josh to do the same. Lady Paleyne and Lady Alianne elected to stand a little way away. Josh didn’t blame them.

Once Katofen had finished speaking, distress broke out in the huldra woman’s eyes, and she looked at the staff in Josh’s hands. She put her hands to her face and wailed, bowing over so that her head was nearly touching her ankles. She stayed this way for several moments, before reluctantly pulling herself upright again, her eyes flicking up to Josh. Weirdly, it seemed as if a great weight that had been pressing on her had now lifted, leaving not relief, but a bleak emptiness.

“This is Sanial,” Katofen said. “The mother of Anatis.”

Josh nodded his head cautiously at her.

“I’m Josh,” he said. “I’m sorry for your loss.” The words felt trite and inadequate, but he didn’t know what else to say.

Katofen spoke again in the huldra language, and Josh heard his own name mixed in, so presumably Katofen was translating.

Sanial listened, and when Katofen had finished, she took in a great breath, as if girding herself. She held her hand out for the staff, and what else could Josh do but pass it over? She balanced it across her legs and fingered the carvings.

Katofen turned to Josh.

“Please tell us again how you found it.”

Josh nodded and repeated the story, starting from the time he had entered the captain’s quarters. He continued with the escape, describing how the staff had helped him evade the arrows, and ending the tale just as he vanished into the Myriad the first time.

Sanial listened to the story while staring at the staff in her lap. At the end, she said something in a hoarse voice.

“She thanks you for your words,” Katofen said to Josh. He turned back to Sanial and spoke again. At this Sanial’s head came up sharply. She looked at Katofen, and then at Josh, and back at the staff. It looked like she was deciding something. She took a long time, but Katofen waited patiently. At last Sanial’s mouth firmed with bitter purpose, and she thrust the staff at Josh.

“You take,” she said, in English.

Josh took it back, slowly and warily.

“I …” he said. “This belonged to your son…”

“Is for fight,” Sanial insisted. She turned back to Katofen and released a burble of speech, which Katofen didn’t translate. He nodded. Sanial got abruptly to her feet and walked away from the hut.

“She goes to the stones of remembrance,” Katofen said. “To make her final farewell.”

“Why did she give me back the staff?”

Surely it was a powerful magical artefact. Why would the huldra not want Josh to return it? Something was off.

“It is a training staff,” Katofen said. “It is made to teach one the ways of the warrior. It was made by Saniel’s husband, a powerful enchanter and one of those taken hostage by the lord of Northcrag’s father, fifty years ago. He crafted it for his unborn infant child, whom he has never seen, and now never will.”

The oceans of tragedy in that simple story struck Josh with the force of a tsunami. It reminded him too much of his own situation, and his own family—his parents, his grandmother, Ben—all waiting for him to return, not knowing where he was or even if he was alive.

It took several moments for Josh to recover his equilibrium. Katofen waited patiently.

“You want me to do something,” Josh said hoarsely. “What is it?”

Katofen gave a small nod of acknowledgement. He rose to his feet again.

“Follow me.”

Lady Paleyne hurried to Josh’s side as they made their way through the village.

“I mislike this,” she said in a low murmur to Josh. “We must persuade them to help us sneak through the guard posts to the south.”

There was no more time for conferring. Katofen brought them to another hut, which looked identical to all the rest, outside which sat three huldra—two women and one man. There was nothing to distinguish them from any of the other huldra they had passed on their way, nor did Katofen offer them any special deference.

Nevertheless, when Katofen turned to Josh and the others, he said, “These are the village elders, and the leaders of our people.”

Josh wasn’t sure what to do, but he settled for a clumsy bow. Lady Paleyne offered a dainty curtesy, and Lady Alianne inclined her head.

“Be seated,” Katofen said. “We will break our bread.”

After that, he seemed content to sit there and say nothing. The three elders muttered to one another, darting glances at the three newcomers. After a short while, several young huldra appeared, each carrying wide, heavy clay dishes piled with food, which they set between the huldra and the humans.

Katofen shared it out, offering it alternately to the elders and then to Josh and the others. The two women just picked at their portions, but Josh felt a second hunger coming on, and ate his fill.

The food was odd, but perfectly palatable. There were fried dough things, although made with a soft, crumbly grain he didn’t recognise, filled with sour green flecks. Another platter held what looked like little snails in oil and herbs, which Josh tasted cautiously. They turned out to be sweet and succulent, with a slightly fishy taste. There were small parcels of a crunchy grey material, similar to pastry but which tasted of seaweed, filled with mushrooms cooked in garlic. One bowl held two different types of fish which had been roasted whole and then flaked. The last item, at first glance, resembled noodles in a dark, sticky sauce, but when Josh inspected it more closely he could see the noodles had segments, and realised they were actually worms. It was the only dish he passed over.

By the time he finished, he was comfortably full, and ready to fall asleep, except Lady Paleyne gave him a sharp pinch on his arm.

“Ow,” he hissed, rubbing at it.

“Pay attention,” she said in a low voice.

He was paying attention! It wasn’t his fault that his eyelids kept wanting to sink down over his eyes and cast him off into oblivion.

One of the elders spoke. Katofen listened, then turned to Josh.

“The huldra greet you, and give you sanctuary. Sanial, mother of Anatis, has spoken—the staff gifted to her son, which you claimed from our enemies, has awoken to your touch. You are recognised by our people. We welcome you. We break our fast with you. We offer you our honour and respect.”

This sounded like a litany of obligations to Josh.

“We ask nothing of you in return,” Katofen added.

He might have continued, but Lady Paleyne inserted herself smoothly into the conversation.

“I am the Lady Liosa Paleyne, a daughter of the Barony of Shoal. I serve my lady Alianne, granddaughter and heiress of the Duchess of Kaldermere.” She paused, as the huldra elders muttered in recognition. “My lady has seen the plight of the huldra. She has the right to petition the King. If you help us return to the surface world, she will swear to carry a petition on your behalf and lay it before him.”

Katofen inclined his head.

“My lady is generous. And yet, I have an offer that might be more to your taste.” His eye fell on Josh. “The surest way to the surface is across the Invisible Bridge that guards the entrance to Safirbai. You are brave to make the attempt, but without help you will surely perish. We offer that help.”

Josh opened his mouth to reply, but Lady Paleyne gripped his arm warningly.

“You are kindness itself,” she said to Katofen. “We must take counsel in private, if you would be so kind.”

They were given a hut a little way away, which had been hastily cleared to make room for them. Lady Paleyne cast something which immediately muted the sounds of the village around them. A privacy spell! Was it related to her silence spell?

“The hostages must be in Safirbai,” Lady Paleyne said in a low voice. “De Haven, the huldra are planning to use you to retake the bridge, and then the city itself from Northcrag’s men.”

“Yes, I realised that,” Josh replied, annoyed. “I’m not an idiot.”

“You cannot agree to this plan of theirs.”

“Why not?”

Lady Paleyne gave an exasperated hiss.

Lady Alianne piped up.

“We cannot help a tribe of savages against the citizens of Celespire,” she declared, “No matter how misguided Northcrag may be by attempting to interfere with my grandmother’s plans. It would be treason.”

“The huldra were promised the Azure Cathedral, my lady,” Josh pointed out. “Northcrag hasn’t kept to the bargain. It’s not treason to force him to abide by it.”

“If you would permit me to explain, my lady,” Lady Paleyne said to Lady Alianne, who nodded graciously. “First of all,” she said to Josh. “None of us are conversant with the terms of the bargain. The huldra are, in fact, dwelling in the Cathedral, as promised, pitiful though their lives are. This may well indeed satisfy the arrangement that was made to them. Northcrag’s sire was no fool, and likely had the Crown’s blessing for this operation.”

Josh opened his mouth and closed it again.

“Moreover,” Lady Paleyne went on. “When the younger Northcrag inherited, he took a famously neutral stance in the politics of Dendral. He has never spoken for or against either faction.”

Josh made a mental note to ask later about what the two factions represented. He had another question in the meantime, however.

“If Northcrag captured us,” Josh said, “Or rather captured Lady Alianne, doesn’t that suggest that he is leaning towards the other faction?”

Lady Paleyne pursed her mouth.

“No, I think not. I suspect this is a purely financial transaction. Someone turned Jann, heard about our proposed route, and sent word to Northcrag to delay us. I was hoping our escape would inconvenience Northcrag sufficiently to give us leverage against him, and give us an opportunity outbid our rival.” She paused for effect. “And this is precisely what we have achieved.”

Josh opened his mouth to speak, and she held up a hand.

“Yes, I know, you feel for the huldra. I sympathise, believe me. But if we destabilise Northcrag’s operation in the Cathedral, if we assist the huldra in taking back their city, then this would make Northcrag our enemy, and force him to align himself permanently with our opposition. We cannot afford that, at this juncture. We must see the bigger picture.” She took a deep breath. “I see only one way out of this. We must convince the huldra that a petition to the King is in their best interests. We must convince them to cause a distraction that will allow us to sneak onto one of the regular shipments that run through the Cathedral. North or south, it doesn’t matter. South will be easier, I suspect, given the security surrounding the northern part of the Cathedral. Between de Haven’s spells of invisibility, and my own illusions, I am convinced we can achieve this.”

Josh thought of Sanial’s husband, kept hostage by Northcrag, and fated never to know his son, who had lived and died in the shadows of the Undercavern. How many other families were split apart in that manner?

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Here was a genuinely oppressed minority, but instead of trying to right their wrongs, Lady Paleyne was advocating against helping them, and actively trying to keep the status quo.

“What would be the outcome of their petition?” Josh asked quietly.

Lady Paleyne studied him carefully.

“If we have given our word, then we must carry it out. However, we need not fear that it will have any effect. The King values the courier route through the Cathedral, and will not wish to see that ruined simply to keep a small tribe of elves happy. However, I can see that their plight pains you deeply. Once we reach the capital, I can introduce you to an advocate who might be willing to champion their cause.”

Josh was intensely aware that, if he disagreed, all it would take would be a single touch from Lady Paleyne, and he would be rendered unconscious, during which time she would free to convince the huldra of her own plan.

He wanted to appear to capitulate, but if he did so too soon it would look suspicious.

“Are the huldra subjects of the King?” he asked.

Lady Paleyne frowned thoughtfully.

“I am not certain of their exact status. Does it matter?”

“Yes. If they are, does the King not have a duty to them?”

Lady Paleyne gave him a puzzled look.

“It is their duty to obey the commands of their King. Likely they are in this predicament in the first place due to their refusal to comply with his demands.”

And just like that, the needs and wants of the huldra were swept to the side. Josh struggled to keep his face calm.

“Who is the advocate you mentioned?” he asked, as if he had given up. He saw the flash of relief in Lady Paleyne’s eyes, but he barely listened to her explanation. Instead, he studied his quest menu.

[QUESTS

Escape from the Cathedral. Escape the Earth of Northcrag and find your way out of the Azure Cathedral alive. Total reward: 2,392 xp. Bonus: assist Lady Paleyne and Lady Alianne to escape alongside you. Total reward: 1,578xp.

-> Progress: you have escaped the Earl of Northcrag. Reward: 1,196 xp (apply)

-> Progress: you have assisted Lady Paleyne and Lady Alianne in escaping the Earl of Northcrag. Reward: 789 xp (apply).]

Meanwhile, Lady Paleyne dismissed the silence bubble. When Katofen returned, she informed him that they were all exhausted, and might they be permitted to rest? Katofen graciously acceded to this request, and Josh saw his chance.

“Er … is there somewhere I can, uh … I drank a lot when we ate earlier …” He let his voice trail off, trying to make his request obvious without offending the delicate sensibilities of Lady Alianne. Lady Paleyne just looked amused.

“Follow me,” Katofen said, and led him towards a series of huts that appeared to sit directly over the vast, cavernous space below them.

“About your offer earlier.” Josh said, “Or, should I say, your request? I know why you are offering to help us across the bridge.” He paused. “You don’t know the key, do you?”

Katofen stopped still. He glanced wryly at Josh.

“You have guessed correctly. During our exile the lore of the caverns was passed down from mother to child, but some lineages died out. We are much reduced from what we once were. The key to the bridge is part of our heritage that was lost. Perhaps you are wondering why we have not solved it in the fifty years we have been down here?”

“I don’t see how you could,” Josh said bluntly. “Not with Northcrag defending it at the same time.”

Katofen nodded, his eyes bleak.

“We have made the attempt several times, but each time we lose many. Too many.”

Josh took a deep breath.

“If you agree to get all three of us safely out of the caverns via the north exit, I will help you get across the bridge,” he promised.