Dhurik tightened his grip on his axe and took a step toward Huzen and Ithan.

“Knew there was something off about you,” he huffed.

“Stop!” Irse said, frantically waving a hand at the minotaur. Dhurik scowled at Huzen but stepped no closer.

The object pressed harder against Ithan’s skin, and he felt a warmth beginning to dribble down his neck. His heart pounded in his chest as he tried to comprehend his situation, how this seemingly kind soldier had within seconds become so vicious that he would put a dagger to someone’s throat.

“It’s nothing personal,” Huzen muttered. “It’s just orders.”

“What orders?!” Bimpnottin shouted. “Our mission was to clear the mines!”

“Your mission,” Huzen said. “My mission was to make you complied. By any means necessary.”

“Esthu authorized this?” Irse asked. “She would have us executed even if we conveyed the danger of this task?”

“Those who defy the Seal are traitors to the empire,” Huzen replied solemnly.

Everyone stood in place for a while longer, as if time had frozen them all in this horrific scenario. Ithan’s heart pounded as he stared at Irse, and she in turn offered an empathetic gaze.

“Fine,” Irse muttered, breaking the silence. “Dhurik, join me over here. Bimpnottin and Fenvyre, prepare your magic. Be ready to strike against anything that attacks us.”

After a sigh and another glare at Huzen, Dhurik retreated across the rocks to the other side of the pool of water. Once there, Irse looked back at the remaining group and nodded. Fenvyre and Bimpnottin each took defensive stances, and Dhurik stood primed for battle as Irse placed her hands on the doors and began to chant.

The doors glowed as Irse spoke, the intricate designs etched upon them shining a brilliant gold. Mere moments passed before the doors slowly began to grind against the cavern floor, the harsh noise echoing through the tunnel. The lake quivered in reply, reflecting Ithan’s fear as he stood there with Huzen. If he could escape Huzen’s grasp, he and his friends could leave this place. He closed his eyes and tried to recall how he had managed to best Taer’inar that day in the forest, how he had been able to teleport himself in that flash of radiance.

Then the tightness around his chest—as well as the pressure of the dagger on his neck—vanished. Ithan opened his eyes, and he grinned as he found himself standing out of Huzen’s grasp at the edge of the lake. Huzen’s own look of bewilderment quickly shifted to anger before he charged forward at Ithan.

Ithan leapt backward out of Huzen’s reach, and as he fell into the cold water, that strange feeling of familiarity emerged once again. He had been in this situation before—no, this time was different. Something had dragged him beneath the water last time… Where was that? He had no time to ponder as Huzen dove into the lake and began swimming aggressively toward him. When Huzen reached out to try to grab Ithan, he swatted the dragonkin’s hand away and turned to swim toward the light from Irse’s magic. Something ripped him out of the water as he neared the surface.

“Nice job,” Dhurik said as he set Ithan on his feet. A swell of pride surged through Ithan—he was not entirely helpless after all.

Huzen surfaced shortly after, twisting his head around until his eyes locked onto Ithan once more. He growled, then swam over to one of the platforms in the water and pulled himself out, still clutching his dagger.

“It is over,” Irse said. “You have lost your hostage, and you are surrounded.”

Huzen roared and flung his dagger at Irse. She produced a barrier of light, and the dagger ricocheted off it into the water. Bimpnottin and Fenvyre each began reciting spells behind Huzen and took aim.

“Just let it go,” Irse said.

The soldier ignored her, however, lunging toward the ledge where the three of them stood as snaring vines and bitter frost struck the rocks behind him. Dhurik attempted to grab Huzen to keep him from moving closer, but Huzen evaded and kicked the minotaur away. Dhurik, caught off guard by the soldier’s mobility, stumbled and fell into the water as Huzen drew another dagger. Irse, too, was unable to dispatch him before he knocked her into the wall, her staff clattering to the ground beside her.

“You’re not getting away,” Huzen said as he returned his gaze to Ithan.

The other dragonkin soldiers—likely alerted by Huzen’s outburst—had begun to make their way into the chamber, quickly surrounding Bimpnottin and Fenvyre. Dhurik had not surfaced from his fall yet, and Irse struggled to stand as blood dripped from the side of her head. Ithan had to buy his friends time to recover. So, he did the only thing he could think of: he turned and ran headlong into the darkness of the previously sealed cave.

“Do not go in there—!” Irse called as he fled, Huzen’s heavy footsteps close behind. Even as the light from the entrance to the tunnel quickly faded as Ithan ran, he could still make out the shapes of the rocks inside the tunnel, allowing him to avoid them and continue to outrun the pursuing dragonkin. Huzen’s footsteps grew quieter the further he ran, though they continued to echo off the tunnel walls.

Ithan knew he could not run forever, though. He may have been able to outpace Huzen in the short term, but now he was running out of breath; surely the soldier had more endurance. What was more, the deeper Ithan went into this tunnel, the more likely it was that he would run into whatever had been sealed down here. There had been no sign of any kind of creature thus far, but Ithan thought perhaps he should not push his luck further, so he stopped and spun around.

A glimpse of dim light broke the darkness ahead of him; Huzen must have needed to light a torch to continue his pursuit. As the light drew nearer, Ithan unsheathed Taer’inar’s sword and prepared to defend himself. When Huzen was close enough to catch Ithan in the torchlight, the dragonkin stopped and leaned one arm against the tunnel wall as he caught his breath.

“The general was right,” Huzen said between breaths. “You elves are tricky.”

“You mean clever,” Ithan replied. He could not help but smirk a little at his own remark. Huzen grinned back, his teeth glinting against the light. His smile faded quickly, though, as he peered past Ithan into the darkness beyond.

“Don’t move,” Huzen said, a strange trembling in his voice. He held his torch out in front of him, and his eyes grew wide.

Ithan, nervous now with Huzen’s sudden change in demeanor, hesitantly turned his head to look behind him. He could not tell that anything was there at first, but as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he noticed something moving on the walls. Wriggling. He took a step towards Huzen and whirled around to get a better view, and his stomach turned—the whole tunnel beyond where he had just been standing was covered in fleshy, writhing worms.

“Godsbane,” Huzen muttered as he stepped up next to Ithan, his torch illuminating more of the horrid scene as he approached. The tunnel seemed to end not much farther away, but all the surfaces of that last bit of cavern were completely infested with the worms.

“What is this…?” Ithan mumbled.

“There was a plague that ran through Greenreach when I was little,” Huzen said. “They said the plague was caused by an infestation of worms. I thought they’d gotten rid of them all…”

A mass of worms rose up from the ground, some of them falling to reveal bone and rotten flesh underneath. It was an elvenoid of some kind, but it was far too decayed to tell much beyond that. The creature took notice of the two of them, twisting around with sickening snaps and gurgles.

“A walking corpse,” Huzen scowled.

“Wel… come…” it croaked, worms seeping from what Ithan could only assume was its mouth. The worms of the cavern now all began to move in their direction.

“We have to go,” Huzen said. He grabbed the back of Ithan’s shirt and began pulling him away.

“Stay…” the creature said. It reached out toward them as worms dripped from its arm, and for a moment wisps of color weaved through the air around the three of them, coalescing in impossibly intricate patterns—beautiful, yet somehow nauseating. In that moment, Ithan’s senses dulled as the cavern around him warped, and he nearly collapsed from the disorientation. A clack on the ground behind him—followed by a thud—snapped him out of his daze.

“Huzen?” Ithan said, looking back at the dragonkin. Huzen had fallen to the ground in a stupor, his torch resting beside him, its flame still flickering and casting shadows against the walls of the tunnel. Ithan dropped Taer’inar’s sword in a panic and scrambled to the ground to try to shake Huzen awake. The soldier remained motionless, but Ithan could feel the warmth of his breath.

He’s still breathing, at least.

Still, they needed to escape. Ithan tried to drag Huzen’s body away, but he struggled against the dragonkin’s weight, only able to pull him a few feet away before the worms reached Huzen and started to crawl onto him.

“Do not… resist…”

The creature itself began to move closer as it spoke. Ithan’s mind raced as he dropped to his knees and started to sweep the worms off Huzen with his arms, shuddering briefly at their cold and slimy touch. He was too weak to pull Huzen to safety, and the worms were far too numerous to keep this up for long. He could still escape if he abandoned Huzen—the dragonkin had threatened him, after all.

It wasn’t his fault.

Huzen was also a victim in all this. Just a glance from Esthu had inspired terror in Ithan; he could only imagine how much worse it was for Huzen and his fellow soldiers, who had to endure her ruthlessness every day. And fear, it seemed, was a powerful motivator. It crept into Ithan’s heart as the worms crept across Huzen’s chest. Some that Ithan had removed from Huzen’s body still clung to his arms even as he tried to shake them loose, and more still inched up both of their bodies now. If help did not come soon, they would both be lost.

“What are you…?” Ithan managed to say as the panic began to set in. At this, the creature raised its arms out to its sides.

“We are… what… remains…”

“Heads up!” Dhurik shouted. Before Ithan could make another move, an intense wave of heat washed over him as a globe of fire soared over their heads. It connected with the creature and exploded in an inferno, the force of the blast powerful enough to knock Ithan to the ground. Its screams of agony were brief; by the time Ithan was able to look back, it had already been reduced to ash along with the worms and most everything else that might have been in that alcove. All that remained now was dust and embers and the sickening scent of burnt flesh.

Ithan stood up and turned his head to look back toward the fireball’s origin, expecting Bimpnottin to be there about to proclaim victory. Instead, he found Taer’inar, his sword drawn and his eyes glaring down at the grim scene he had created.

“How did you get here so fast?” Ithan asked.

“Quickening magic,” Taer’inar replied as the rest of their friends appeared out of the darkness behind him. “I am an experienced wizard, you know. Are you all right?”

“Yeah, I think—” Ithan was unable to get more than a few words out before he lost his breath. It felt like there was an impossibly cold, heavy stone on his chest. Irse quickly ran to him and helped him stay on his feet as he began to cough violently for air.

“What’s happening?” Taer’inar shouted.

“The spores in his system must have been activated by the heat from your spell,” Irse replied.

“Spores?!” Taer’inar repeated.

“I can try to relieve the cough, but we will need Aitos to inspect him,” Irse continued. She took the satchel off her back and began rummaging through it, retrieving some ingredients and swiftly mixing them into a potion. She held the potion to Ithan’s lips, and he drank its contents quickly. It went down smoothly, and it had a sort of minty aftertaste. He shuddered as another burst of cold ran through him, but then it began to subside. His chest relaxed, and he was able to breathe again, though he found he did need to take deeper breaths.

“Thank you,” he said to Irse. “I think I’m okay now.”

“I still want to have Aitos take a look,” Irse said. “That kind of adverse reaction is not to be ignored.”

“Was it really that bad?” Ithan asked.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

“Considering that Dhurik is practically made of fire and he does not seem to have been affected at all, I would say so.”

“What happened?” the minotaur asked. When he saw the remains of the worms smoldering just ahead of him, he clapped Taer’inar on the back. “Nice work, but you didn’t leave anything to mount.”

“I’ll consider that for next time,” Taer’inar muttered. He turned his attention to Huzen. “Is he…?”

“He’s alive,” Ithan replied. “That thing cast some kind of spell on us, and it knocked him out.”

Irse pressed a hand to Huzen’s head and chanted briefly. Huzen’s pupils constricted a moment later, and he began to move again. He sat up quickly, his head darting around at Ithan and his friends before he finally took a deep breath and relaxed.

“Care to explain yourself?” Taer’inar said as he leered down at the soldier.

Huzen carefully eyed the elf’s sword as he shuffled forward.

“I assume they’ve told you what happened,” he said.

“They told me enough to get me to come running. Now I want to hear what you have to say.”

“It was my duty to ensure this task was completed.”

“You had a dagger to Ithan’s throat,” Irse scowled. Taer’inar’s jaw clenched.

Huzen hung his head low as he looked toward Ithan.

“What I did to you was cruel,” he said. “I am truly sorry.”

“Why go as far as you did?” Ithan asked.

“General Esthu demands absolute loyalty,” Huzen explained. “To defy her is to defy the empire and is punishable by death.”

“Fear is not loyalty,” Taer’inar said.

“It makes no difference to her as long as she gets results.” Huzen’s words hung in the air for a moment as he bowed his head again. “I don’t expect you to forgive me.”

“I can’t really blame you for wanting to protect yourself,” Ithan said finally. “I… might have done the same thing.”

“It’s not just about me,” Huzen said, “but thank you for your sympathy.”

Ithan smiled at the dragonkin, but it quickly faded as the room seemed to quiver around him. He held a hand to his head as it started to throb with pain.

“Are you okay?” Taer’inar asked.

“It’s just my head…”

“Let’s get you out of here and over to Aitos,” Taer’inar said. Slowly they retreated through the tunnel back toward the underground lake. Ithan could still walk, but he held on to Taer’inar’s arm just in case. He closed his eyes as they walked, trying to filter out the echoes of his friends’ footsteps as his headache worsened. Pulses turned to vibrations, getting stronger with every sound, the pressure building until it felt like his head was about to burst.

“Look out!” Irse called out.

Ithan opened his eyes, the vibrations reaching a climax as he looked toward Irse. Dust and small rocks had begun to fall from the ceiling of the cavern.

A moment later, he was on the ground beneath Huzen.

“We have to move,” Huzen said as he pulled Ithan back up from the ground. There was a large chunk of rock where the two of them had been standing moments ago.

The group ran the rest of the way back to the underground lake. Fenvyre and Bimpnottin were nowhere in sight, and the soldiers were already vacating the area. One shouted something as he saw the group emerging from the tunnel. Ithan hesitated when his friends began traversing the stones back to the other side, but Huzen hoisted him over his shoulder before leaping across to the nearest stone. He wasted no time in crossing the lake, and at the last moment he dove forward, thrusting Ithan ahead of him before the cave came crumbling down behind them.

Ithan could see nothing through the dust following the chaos, and for a moment he feared his friends were lost in the collapse. He breathed a sigh of relief when light flooded out of Irse’s hand to reveal they had all made it safely. He turned around quickly and was glad to see even Huzen had managed to avoid being crushed as he rose from the ground in silence.

“Is everyone all right?” Huzen asked.

“All good here,” Dhurik grunted.

“Ithan?” Taer’inar said.

“I’m fine,” Ithan replied as he picked himself up from the ground. “Where are Fen and Bimpnottin?”

“They had to have gotten out with Tano and the others,” Huzen said.

The group quickly made their way out of the tunnel back into the larger chamber outside of the mines proper. The soldiers had abandoned their work there in the evacuation, leaving the corpses they had been moving in a pile. They proceeded, climbing up to the next chamber and finally walking out of the mines into the sunlight, where Tano and the other soldiers were waiting for them. Fenvyre and Bimpnottin sat back-to-back between two of the soldiers, their arms tied with rope behind them.

“You made it!” Fenvyre said.

“Excellent!” Bimpnottin added. “Just what I would expect from my minions! Now come free your captain!”

“Release them,” Huzen said to Tano. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

“First explain what happened,” Tano said. “It sounded like they attacked you—”

“That’s not true!” Fenvyre shouted. “He’s the one who—”

“I provoked them,” Huzen said. “The general wanted something done, so I did what I had to to get it done.”

Tano raised her head up, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Her nostrils flared as she loudly exhaled. She stood there with her head still pointed to the sky for a few more moments.

“Let ‘em go,” Tano said. The soldiers cut Fenvyre and Bimpnottin loose. Bimpnottin stood up and dusted off his hat and robe, and Fenvyre walked over to Ithan and hugged him tight. It was no tighter than normal, but with Ithan’s constricted breathing it felt more like Dhurik was trying to crush him.

“Fen—” Ithan gasped. She let go immediately.

“He had a reaction to the spores,” Irse said. “He is having difficulty breathing.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Fenvyre said. “Aitos will be able to help. Think you’ll be okay until then?”

“I’m fine for now,” Ithan said.

“So what now?” Tano asked Huzen.

“I’ll take them back to Greenreach and tell the general that the mines are unstable,” Huzen said. “Do what you can out here, but don’t do anything else in the mines until you hear back from me. Don’t want any more accidents.”

“Understood.” Tano said. She left the group to speak to some of the other soldiers while Huzen escorted them to one of the tents nearby.

Irse tended to the cuts and bruises the others had sustained while they rested. She assessed each person’s injuries carefully and applied ointments and bandages when needed, though she did so sparingly. Ithan felt fine now, other than the aches from being shoved to the ground and tossed across the cavern. It could certainly have been worse; that large chunk of rock would have crushed him had Huzen not intervened.

“I’ve made a complete mess of things,” Huzen muttered.

“This would not have happened had you listened to what we had to say,” Irse said as she applied an ointment to a cut on Huzen’s arm. His eyes twitched as it made contact.

“I know. I was desperate to get the job done no matter what, and I almost got you all killed.”

“Maybe that’s what Esthu was counting on,” Taer’inar mused. A chill ran down Ithan’s spine at the words.

“I don’t…” Huzen shook his head and sighed. “Maybe. I want to believe that isn’t the case, but…”

“We should keep our suspicions to ourselves for now,” Irse said. “Accusations will likely only get us into more trouble at this point.”

“So what exactly was that thing?” Ithan asked.

“What thing?” Fenvyre said. “There was something down there with you guys?”

“I, uh…” Huzen mumbled as he glanced over at Fenvyre. “Maybe it’s best not to talk about it right now.”

“Why’s that?” Ithan said. “You said something about a plague—”

“…Oh,” she muttered. Her eyes flickered. “Um… I’ll just…”

“Fen?” Ithan said.

“Sorry, I just… I need a minute,” Fenvyre said. “My… My parents died from the plague.”

A lump formed in Ithan’s throat.

“I’m sorry,” Ithan said.

“You didn’t know. It’s just… been a long time since anyone’s talked about those days. A lot of bad memories.” She took a deep breath. “I’m okay. I’ll tell them.”

“Are you sure?” Huzen said. Fenvyre nodded.

“People would start out just getting a little sick, but they’d always just keep getting worse until they passed away. And then they’d come back, except… they weren’t them. They were still dead, but the worms had taken over their bodies. And that’s how it would spread. But when Aitos and his friend were able to find a cure, the plague died out. Well… that’s what they said, anyway…”

“If that creature had something to do with the plague, then we can’t afford to wait here any longer,” Taer’inar said. “We need to bring Ithan to Aitos as soon as possible.”

There was that overprotectiveness again. Ithan found it strange that Taer’inar always seemed to be more concerned for his well-being than the others. They were both elves, perhaps that was it—the desire to be with and protect one’s own kind seemed to be a common trait in people. The dragonkin empire was proof enough of that. Still, that should not have made him any more deserving of Taer’inar’s concern than anyone else.

After ensuring everyone was cleaned up and ready to go, the group made their way back out of Rockfall. Ithan’s headache started to fade on its own, but his breathing remained shallow.

“I daresay you’d make a mighty fine addition to our crew,” Bimpnottin said to Huzen. “Why not join us on our journey to the mountains?”

“I’m a soldier, not an adventurer,” Huzen replied. “Besides, Esthu would have my head if I joined up with you lot.”

“She’s a jerk,” Fenvyre said. “Why do you work for her?”

“It’s my job,” Huzen said. “I just want to help people.”

“Ironic after what you just pulled,” Taer’inar muttered.

“Enough,” Irse said before turning her attention back to Huzen. “You do not need to be a soldier to help people.”

“It’s not that simple,” Huzen sighed. “We’re supposed to be the first line of defense against enemy nations. That’s where I want to be—protecting people before they even know they’re being protected.”

“An ambitious goal,” Bimpnottin said. “I was not much different in my youth.”

Ithan smiled; perhaps he was not meant to be a soldier like Huzen, but he hoped one day he would be able to protect people in his own way, instead of always needing to be protected himself.

It was nearly sunset by the time the group returned to the western gate of Greenreach. Esthu, along with half a dozen soldiers, stood in their way as they approached. Huzen strode forward and saluted the general.

“The Averion Company has completely pacified the Rockfall mine as contracted,” he reported.

“Good,” Esthu said, her eyes darting between each of Ithan’s friends. “And what of the seal?”

“The seal was lifted,” Huzen said, “but unfortunately, that branch of the mines collapsed soon after. There were some minor injuries but no casualties.”

“Collapsed how?” Esthu asked.

“Well…”

“General,” a voice called from the growing crowd.

Esthu turned around, and Ithan peered past the dragonkin. The voice came from another elf, like him and Taer’inar. His blonde hair—adorned with a streak of blue—reached down to his shoulders in the back yet was kept short on the sides. He wore a beautifully adorned silver robe, with various belts wrapped around him carrying all manner of vials and bottles. Dark blue markings to match his eyes—deep oceans they seemed to Ithan—peeked out from the top of his robe.

“Oh, it’s Aitos!” Fenvyre said.

“Hello there, Miss Fenvyre,” the elf said. His voice had a soft, soothing quality to it that draped over Esthu’s harsh tone, dulling the anxiety at the scene.

“Aitos,” Esthu grumbled. “Back so soon from the capital?”

“Indeed, I am,” the elf replied. “And just in time, it seems. Tell me, why did you have the seal in the mines broken?”

“It was part of their contract with the dwarves,” Esthu said. “They were tasked with pacifying the mines.”

“The dwarves knew of the seal,” Aitos said. “They agreed it was not to be disturbed.”

“What would you know of any of this?” Esthu snapped. “You’re nothing more than an apothecary.”

“I was here when that cursed plague ran through this city.” Aitos’s voice stayed calm, but his smile faded as he spoke. “We did much research into that illness and its origins, and Elyan created that seal to quarantine the source of the plague.”

“Why not purge the source to begin with?” Esthu argued. “I have simply done what Elyan should have done fifteen years ago.”

“Information,” Aitos replied. “The source had a wealth of knowledge that we had yet to tap into. Its destruction is a detriment to our research.”

“You kept it alive for research?” Taer’inar asked. “What could you possibly want with the information it had?”

Aitos peered past Esthu at Taer’inar.

“You are an adventurer,” he said. “Surely you know the phrase, ‘know one’s enemy.’”

“Enough of this,” Esthu spat. “You knowingly aided in harboring a dangerous entity. I should have you executed.”

She unsheathed her sword and held the blade to Aitos’s neck.

“That should hardly be the focus of your concerns at the moment, Esthu,” Aitos said as blood trickled down the dragonkin’s blade.

“General.”

The elf’s eyes narrowed.

“These people have been exposed to the source of a deadly plague. They must be inspected at once. You would not want another epidemic on your hands, would you?”

“They can join you in the pyre.”

“You can’t do that!” Fenvyre said. “Not without a trial!”

“Traitors are afforded no such luxuries.” Esthu’s claws glistened with murderous intent. Ithan gritted his teeth.

“I would reconsider your intended course of action,” Aitos said.

“And why would I do that?” Esthu snarled.

“Well, you have made quite a scene,” Aitos remarked. Indeed, by now a large crowd of dragonkin had gathered around to watch Esthu in her rage. “I do not suppose you will be able to silence all of Greenreach.”

The dragonkin bared her teeth at the elf and growled, but she pulled the blade away from Aitos’s neck and sheathed it once more.

“Report to me immediately after your examination,” Esthu said to Huzen. She beckoned her soldiers to follow her as she stormed through the crowd toward the eastern gate. The crowd cheered as they departed, and the dragonkin dispersed shortly after.

“Dramatic as always,” Aitos sighed as he held two fingers to the cut on his neck. They glowed for a moment, and when he pulled them away again his wound was gone.

“Oh, Dhurik and Ithan inhaled some cryomycete spores,” Fenvyre said.

“That can be taken care of after I confirm none of you are infected,” Aitos said. “Now then, let us move quickly. Treatment is most effective in the larval stage.”

“The what?” Taer’inar said as his eyes widened.

“Come along, now,” Irse said as she followed swiftly behind Aitos. Taer’inar glanced at Ithan in his confusion, but all Ithan could do was shrug before joining Irse and the rest of his friends as Aitos led them through the streets of Greenreach.