“Are we free to converse, sir knight?” Owain asked, his voice booming. It hit the walls and travelled, coming back warped and garbled.
The mineshaft was broad and tall, roomy enough that we weren’t pressed against each other, but still claustrophobic; wooden columns lay at either side, becoming a crisscrossing mess of beams and struts overhead. Cybill had her sword out of its sheath, and it emanated a deep red light which had a way of making the darkness darker.
The air was cold and humid, a musty smell rising and lingering beneath my nose; cutting above that was the sound of metal brushing against metal, loud as it doubled back from in front and behind us.
We had been walking for a while, through tunnels that were tilted down, and in that time I hadn’t become used to the idea of being underground, with a ton of rock above that might fall if there was shoddy craftsmanship.
“We are now past the shrimp crickets,” he said. “You may do so, but be prepared to be silent at my word.”
In the corner of my eye I saw Owain turn to me, his mouth opening.
“What’s the history of this place, Your Highness?” I asked. “Do you know?”
I kept my gaze forward, ignoring Owain’s frown. My focus was on the tumultuous state of my body, and trying to calm my mind enough that I could hopefully attune my spatial sense into detecting bugs.
“Some,” said Allycea. “These mines go back to the times before the first Mandon king, when the world was but pockets of civilisation surrounded on all sides by dire beasts. Malnor island was a boon for those who first settled here, because it was a place where a myriad of different celestial gems grew together in one place.”
“Is that strange?” I asked. “That different celestial gems would be in one place?”
“That I do not know,” said Allycea.
“If I may interject, Your Highness?” said Leonard. Allycea nodded. “It is strange, yes, Champion. There are those who study stone and they have found that the coming together of mundane rocks and celestial waters leads to the growth of different types of celestial gems.”
“So what does it mean for Malnor Castle that that sort of thing happened?”
“That is one of the great mysteries of our age,” said Leonard. “Perhaps known by grand mages.”
“Though there are some who seem to think that it might mean that Malnor castle is some great dire beast who once walked these lands when the Commonality was still connected to Bratma,” said Owain. “The very name of the island is in reference to the sleeping god, Malnor, whose waking would herald the end of the world in flood and storms.”
He opened his mouth again but Norbert held up a hand.
“I sense something in the distance,” he said. “Winged. Likely gnats who have sensed our approach.” He turned to me. “I am given to understand that you are unused to shooting moving targets, Champion?”
I nodded shortly.
“They will be your exercise,” he said, and I was surprised that there wasn’t any judgement in his voice. I was grateful for that and didn’t want to disappoint so I swallowed my nerves – having to work to regain my composure when I saw the first of the gnats. They were fly-like things that were only just smaller than my head, they approached with a whir that filled the space around, overlapping and becoming oppressive.
“Remember our training,” said Ellora. “Calm and watch the target. Do not close your eyes and keep your wits about you. Be ready to draw once more.”
“Okay,” I said, my voice wobbly. I had to move so that I was ahead of the crew, though Ellora stayed at my side. My gun came out and pointed, there was still a bit of distance between me and the gnats, so even as my heart threatened to give out it was beating so hard, I could think.
The book had said the best way to attune things to one’s sense was to relate them to one’s self – a relationship, whether it be familial or adversarial. I focused on the gnats, on their danger and the fact that they were flying towards me; everything else I pushed away, dulling it in what was now a practiced sort of meditation.
The process unfortunately, wasn’t instantaneous.
“Will you be shoo—”
“Shh!” I said, cutting Owain off. He was behind me and I couldn’t see his expression, but I heard Cybill’s snort which was definitely not good. “Take them out, Ellora,” I said. “Not all of them, just the ones that are getting close.”
“You will not learn—”
“Please,” I interrupted, because the bugs were getting too close.
She nodded and stepped forward, throwing out both hands; a hiss cut through the air as a column of water shot out and hit some of the bugs, wetting their wings and dropping them to the ground. Ellora shifted her hands and the beams got wider, becoming a spray that slowed down the bugs.
More were still coming.
But impressions bloomed. There were easily twenty of the gnats, some of them on the ground but most flying.
“Okay,” I said. The hiss stopped and the drum of wings filled the air again. I pointed my gun, focusing on the bobbing points in my head that were coming closer, not flying with great speed, but making headway.
The bang was loud and the light was blinding. I couldn’t help but close my eyes, but I was satisfied by the disappearance of one of the bugs in my head. When I opened my eyes, one of the bugs was on the ground, on fire.
“Good shot,” said Ellora and I smiled. “But you closed your eyes.”
“Yeah. Yeah,” I muttered, filled with new confidence.
Another shot and I missed, quickly followed by another which met its mark. The tunnel was quickly lit by fire and the gnats bobbed close to them instead of coming to us. I picked them off one by one, but in the distance I sensed more.
“I think I’m done,” I said with a look at Norbert.
“No,” he said. “More feel the warmth and they are coming towards us.”
“Will we stop then and give him a chance to shoot?” Owain muttered. “I thought we would see true combat, not watching an amateur at work.”
Yeah, it had been a bad thing to cut him off.
“This was fun, Sir Norbert,” I said, “but I think His Honour might be right.”
“Jaslynn, do you want some fun?” Allycea asked.
The woman stepped lightly forward and grabbed two of her discs. “Greatly, Your Highness,” she said.
“Then make way.”
We went forward with more speed, going deeper and lower. The gnats came but the discs made quick work of them; with a heave, Jaslynn threw two discs so they flew on either side of the tunnels, and as they passed the gnats she slapped her hands together and call forth a bright flash of dark purple lightning that smacked between the two discs, filling the mines with the rolling crackle of lightning and the smell of burnt bugs.
Weren’t we supposed to be quiet?
But then my gun had already set things off and the people around me seemed to greatly want to get into battle.
When the tunnels split off, I had to shoot a few of the gnats to set them on fire, making sure that any more bugs would follow the heat of the fire instead of coming our way. We weren’t here for gnats, we were here for spiders.
We reached a drop point that had a rickety wooden ladder. Allycea and Owain had gravity gems in their armour and they jumped down, while the rest of us had to make the trip slowly, with me making sure not to look down because the drop looked long.
The depths were less like mines and more like caves, they were still wide, but the floors were dirt packed by footfalls, and the walls and roof were arched. There seemed to be cracks every so often which were wet, with plant-like growths spreading out from them; and the deeper we went, the more the moss-type thing covered parts of the wall and floor.
I kept sensing glimmers of things in the distance, but Norbert could sense them too and he directed us away from them. On our walk we reached a place that had been carved out into a giant room, most of the floor covered in moisture, with pools of water falling from the ceiling. The most entrancing sight were the snails which clung to the ceiling; they were the size of my torso, perfectly pale, with beads of light running through them.
“Those are breath-taking,” I said as I looked up. Their light wasn’t too bright, but there were enough of them that they lit the room better than the red from Cybill’s sword.
“Mesmer snails,” said Norbert, his voice hard to hear with the stream of water that fell from the ceiling, washing things out. “They defend themselves by shining those lights to petrify threats.”
I immediately looked down.
“They’re supposed to be delicious,” said Allycea. “The miners of old subsisted on them.”
“Would they not have been commoner food?” Owain asked.
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“These mines were first manned by its people, not prisoners,” said Allycea. “They should have eaten the food which exists here today.”
“Why not fish from the lake?” I asked.
“Because the waters have always been dangerous. There are tales of worms in the far past, though Odysseus would know best if they were true or not.”
The floor was uneven and one side flooded with dark water, its rippling surface casting off the light from the snail and Cybill’s sword, but not revealing anything that might lie beneath. Our entry was the place’s floor, with a set of stairs carved into the wall, heavily worn and smoothed out.
“Is the water safe?” I asked.
“If there were anything in the water I would sense it as its warmth or as its movements disturbed the air,” said Norbert. “Step carefully on the stairs, they will be slippery.”
“You will find me at the bottom,” said Allycea, moments before she jumped, her cloak fluttering before she landed with a splash. Owain didn’t hesitate and followed after her, his armour glimmering in a faint pink colour.
“For us it will be the more dangerous path,” said Leonard with a chuckle. He and Jaslynn took the lead as they climbed down, Cybill and Norbert stayed back with me.
I turned back to the water and focused. It felt odd that there wouldn’t be anything alive there, especially when there should be nutrients for life to thrive or something. Filtering had worked with the gnats, but – I now realised – it hadn’t worked with the snails that were on the ceiling.
Why? Especially when there were still bugs I could sense?
The stones were magic, true, but the scientific method still applied to them, they could be observed and their functions predicted. I didn’t know how the first mages had figured out that lines made the gems do certain things, but they must have done that systematically. There had to be a reason why my spatial sense was so selective.
“Champion,” said Norbert, pulling me out of my thoughts.
Leonard, Jaslynn, Ellora and Freda had reached the bottom. Which left Norbert, Cybill and me still at the top.
“There’s nothing in those waters,” said Cybill. “Sir Norbert’s a fine sensor, he would know if there was a threat.”
“Everything I know about environments is warring against that,” I said. I swallowed. “But I’ll trust your experience on this, sir.”
I started down, one hand on the wall for balance as I chose my steps. The red of Cybill’s sword made the spots with water darker and I stepped carefully around those, one step at time, taking my time until I reached the bottom where there was ankle height water.
“The floor is old,” said Norbert. “Step carefully lest there be large cracks.”
We walked, the splashing of our footsteps joining the rush of water falling from above. I tried to focus on the path ahead of me, but I couldn’t help but focus on the deeper part of the room.
How could a place with water not have more life? Sure I didn’t know a lot about caves and stuff, but…there should have been fish or something, right?
Where would those fish have come from?
Maybe I was being stupid.
Or maybe I was right because a second later Norbert swore under his breath, pink-purple light bouncing around the room as two swords sighed into existence. Everyone else was quick on the draw, calling forth or unsheathing their weapons. I gaped, my head swivelling around in search of what it might be while my gun stayed safely holstered at my side.
“What is it?” Allycea asked, her voice low, arms spread so her swords pointed in two directions.
“It seems your instincts were correct, Champion,” Norbert muttered. “I sensed a figure breathing within the water.”
Guy, you need to get better at your job.
“But what is it?” Allycea asked.
“The only thing that I would miss would be an alabaster lizard,” said Norbert.
“What’s an alabaster lizard?” I asked as Allycea said, “Here? Now? They are usually deeper in the mines, closer to the lake’s waters.”
“For it to have come this high aboveground, it can only be for one reason,” Norbert said, his voice low. “It has laid its eggs and it will fight most fiercely to protect them.”
“Fight or flight?” Jaslynn asked. She had four discs in total, and now two of those were in either hand, prepared to be thrown.
This is a very bad place to be shooting electricity, I thought. Which did not make me feel any better about our situation.
“There are enough of us,” said Allycea. “We will be able to slay her.”
“Isn’t water its natural environment?” I asked, my voice catching in my throat. “Why would we want to fight it on home ground?”
“Champion Jordan and Ellora,” Allycea continued, “you will dispatch of the snails less they mesmerise us. Sir Norbert and the Mage Leonard will stay here, protecting the Champion; Baron Owain, you know how best you fight, do so or stay back; ladies, with me.”
Owain was with them as they moved, trekking through water that got deeper the further in they went, their splashes agitating the snails above who now shone with new colour, brighter and more frantic.
Don’t look up. Don’t look up.
“Join me, Champion,” said Ellora before she threw her hands forward and shot thin beams of water; she wasn’t looking up, instead she ran her hands randomly around, cutting through the snail shells without trouble.
There are snails on the ceiling and I should be able to sense them, I thought and that was enough, new impressions bloomed in my mind. I knew where people were and I pushed them back – their impressions dulled, making sensing the snails easier to track.
But not the lizard.
There’s a lizard in the water and I should be able to sense it.
It worked and my stomach dropped. Because it wasn’t one impression, but a dozen.
“It’s not alone!” I shouted, only a second too late realising that I would have to explain how I knew.
Such worries were unneeded, because a snake-like shape, as white as the snails, with rod-like protrusions jutting out of where its ears should be, rose out of the water. The lizard was long, easily twice my height with more of it hidden underwater, thin arms under it so it sat up. It had no eyes but slits for a nose were visible, water spouting from it as it breathed out; it opened its mouth to reveal a tongue that was pink and slitted, slithering out and tasting the air.
My mind went blank and for a moment I felt nothing but panic.
It felt like staring down a deranged dog, seeing its teeth bared, its haunches raised and watching it barking, coming closer, threatening to bite.
My gun was still in my holster and I was expected to fight. It would be better if I fought because there was a better chance to escape. I was better protected here amongst these people who thought this type of thing was fun; people who had chosen to fight this thing when it hadn’t attacked first, when it still wasn’t attacking.
People whose judgement was fucked up.
“Fuck this,” the words left my mouth, a whisper against the greater rush of sounds from the room around me — water falling from the ceiling; more water dripping from the lizard’s smooth form; the hiss from Ellora’s gauntlets; and the plinking sound of snail shells as they fell to the ground.
Even so Ellora heard. The jets of water disappeared and she turned to me, her mouth set in a frown. She knew what I was going to do and she was going to try and stop me.
My mind simultaneously moved very quickly and at a crawl, taking everything in but allowing me to fixate on individual detail. Everyone except Ellora was looking at the lizard. If I wanted to make it out of here, then she would be my obstacle.
My spatial sense narrowed to a point and all distractions disappeared. Ellora became the only person I could sense and her form unfolded, becoming a stick figure whose movements were clear in my mind. I turned to run towards the exit and she stretched out a hand to grab me; the line that was her arm came towards me and I ducked low, her fingers grazing my armour. My boots slapped against water as I thrust myself forward, almost slipping as I tried to reach the stairs.
In the corner of my eyes I saw as the lizard made its move, mouth opening once more to release a gush of water, thicker than anything I’d seen Ellora do and faster. Allycea and Owain leapt to either side, easily dodging, but the same wasn’t true for Allycea’s ladies and they were bowled over, disappearing in the darkness.
The lizard’s neck bulged and another gush of water escaped, thinner, faster and with spin, its target Norbert, Ellora and the mage.
“Waroo!” the mage shouted and I heard a clack.
A roar followed, pushing water at either side of him to form a wall; water stretched out with a lot of momentum, he must not have seen me run because I was in the way of the wall. Water slammed into my side and I was thrown back, spinning so fast that all the contents of my stomach rode up. I landed hard, protected by my armour, but my stomach and head weren’t and a stream of vomit escaped.
Before I could get my bearing the wall fell, water hitting the ground and pushing me back further, sapping my body’s heat and leaving me cold and shivering as it pulled back, heading to the lower side of the room.
I stayed there, on my chest, face stuck against a wet floor. I felt a hand on my back and panic seized me, only for relief to hit as I saw Ellora.
She didn’t look happy.
“Idiot,” she said, as she pulled me up. My head swivelled in the direction of the fighting. Allycea and Owain were at either side of the lizard, both of them bearing swords; Owain leapt — glowed bright with blue light — and suddenly moved much faster in his jump, landing on the creature’s side and stabbing.
A shriek cut through the air as blood marred the lizard’s exterior.
“If you are asked, you were too close to the mage and his barrier caught you,” Ellora said. “You did not run, do you understand?”
The lizard swung and threw Owain off, only for Allycea—legs extended—to land a double kick that sent it reeling; her swords appeared and she started to run it through the creature’s skin, leaving slices that were much larger than the thin blades of the swords.
Jaslynn and Freda were alive, I saw, drenched, but fighting smaller, pale forms in the water. Freda had a shield and sword, she blocked a thin spout of water, got close then slashed a blade that was a little too long; when the things scampered away, she threw the sword and it flew, catching and cutting the water before flying up and back to her waiting hand. Jaslynn, meanwhile, threw her disks, controlling them from afar to bash in the heads of her targets.
“Champion, do you understand?” she said, shaking me.
I nodded dumbly.
“The hunt is still young,” said Ellora. She glanced back but the others were too focused ahead, watching the battle. “Still with many an opportunity to prove yourself. Use them. Yours is not the only fate entangled with your success. If Ally has to…” She looked back, facing Cybill. “Gather your courage and your wits, find an opportunity to stand out and do so. Am I understood?”
Again I nodded.
She pulled me long where the others stood. Cybill stood with her sword and shield at the ready, Norbert was framed by his floating swords and the mage leaned against his staff. All of them still faced forward, watching the fight in case anything tried to attack us.
“Are you well, Champion?” Leonard asked.
“You—your barrier,” I said. “It hit me.”
“My apologies,” he said. “The scale of the attack I was defending against was large. I hope you are not grievously injured.”
“No,” I said, voice shaking. “It’s…”
The rest of the words didn’t leave my throat. I was too shaken and felt embarrassed of all things.
Allycea and Owain worked together to cut the lizard’s legs; her swinging a sword which caused cuts larger than they should, and him slashing forward with enhanced speed. The alabaster lizard screeched, mouth opening wide as its head tilted towards the ceiling; a disc from Jaslynn flew into its mouth and down its throat. The innards of the lizard flared with light, a quick burst that made the lizard drop.
Battle done they walked back to us, hair wet but their expressions of satisfaction.
“You are drenched, Champion,” Owain said, his voice loud and his smile broad. His sword was now gone and his hands free.
I wasn’t the only one wet in our group, but they had been caught by the spray of water as the beam and barrier had met, while I was soaked through, cold and shivering, having to keep my teeth from chattering.
My mouth opened and closed. No words came out.
“A mistake on my part,” said Leonard. “My barrier clipped the Champion and he was thrust away. He was gracious enough to forgive my foolhardiness.”
“You are lucky you were not grievously hurt,” Allycea said, her eyes boring into me.
I’d promised myself that I wouldn’t do anything stupid again, that I wouldn’t run like I’d done when I’d punched Odysseus. But the very same thing had happened now. A part of me wished it was as easy as making promises to myself and keeping them, but…when it felt like death was close, ‘smart’ disappeared and the only answer became, not necessarily survival but getting away.
Because now thinking about it, even if I’d gotten up those stairs and left this room, it wasn’t like I would have been able to get to the surface. There were bugs out there that Norbert had led us away from, bugs that could kill me if I was on my own.
“Let us leave this place,” said Norbert. “There will be drier areas and there we will find a place to enjoy a meal. There are still spiders to hunt.”
We went on, and I noticed that Ellora and Jaslynn were at either side of me, making sure that I wouldn’t try to run again.
Maybe I can still salvage this, I thought and I made that my anchor. Maybe I can fight just once. Maybe next time I’ll fight instead of running.
Hopefully the next time would be different.