The Dragon Hunter and the Mage (20 page)

“She’s right,” Orisius agreed. “We just need to find some Glowstone, like Nahir said.”

Ashur kicked a pebble, cursing.

“I agree, Ash,” Prion said. “It kinda makes sense.”

“Nothing about this makes sense…” Ashur replied, “but I agree that it’s the best idea we got.”

They started back through where they had come in, making a different turn before arriving at the chamber where they had woken.

Then another one of those chilling noises came from down the corridor, making Irenya jump.

“Did you hear that?” she asked.

“Hear what?” Orisius asked.

They had found a T junction. Ashur signaled Jullion to inspect the corridor on the left while he turned to the right. Irenya stayed put, looking behind and hugging herself.

“Want my jacket?” Orisius asked her.

Irenya trembled a little. “No.”

“Hey, guys…” Jullion called from beyond the corner. “You should take a look at this.”

Ashur emerged from the other corridor and they followed Jullion’s voice. Their jaws dropped. Around the corner was the top of a stairwell from which you could see a massive cave opening. No, not a cave. It was a hall. The floor was tiled and there were dozens of warrior statues guarding a door as tall as a tower.

“I sure hope that door is not what I think it is…” Jullion said.

“Maybe it’s a vault,” Orisius murmured, “where the Glowstone is kept.”

That sounded plausible enough. Or at least, they all hoped it did.

Exhaling loudly, Orisius walked down the stairwell and the others followed. They meandered between the statues and the hall echoed each of their steps. Blue lights, scattered above in the tall ceiling, sparkled like blue fireflies.

“Look at this,” Jullion said, touching the metal surface of the colossal gate. It was covered with outcropping glyphs that reflected the blue lights in the ceiling. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Is it metal?” Ashur placed a hand on it and pushed. “It must weigh more than a Dragon. What do you think these symbols mean?”

“These aren’t symbols, you moron,” Irenya told him. “These are blood runes.”

“How would you know?”

“I was locked in a cell in the Blood House of Capra before coming to Lamash.”

“You were in prison?” Orisius asked.

Jullion swung around. “Did anyone see that?”

“It’s… a long story,” Irenya told Orisius.

“Seriously,” Jullion insisted. “Did anyone see something over there?”

Everyone looked at where he was pointing but found nothing except shadows.

“It’s just the statues,” Ashur said, turning back towards the door. “I bet the crystals are in there. You know, like a treasure.”

“Yeah,” Orisius agreed. “We just need to find a way to open it.”

“Merciful Ava!” Jullion screamed. He took several steps back. “There’s something moving between the statues.”

“Sure, Jules,” Prion said. “They’re coming to life.”

Ashur laughed, but his chuckles were cut by a guttural screech that echoed tenfold.

Irenya felt her heart sinking through her stomach. “Run!” she yelled.

Dashing through the corner, Dothea stepped on a patch of ice. Her foot lost its traction and she crashed to the floor. She heard something crack and howled.

Tharius was right behind her and he didn’t as much as slow down. Grabbing the collar of her shirt, he heaved her up and spurred her forward. Trying to ignore the pain shooting through her arm, Dothea looked over her shoulder, making sure Trissa, Ergon, and Lyra were still following.

“Quick! They’re getting closer,” Ergon screamed, pushing Trissa and his sister forward.

Dothea kept running, scanning the floor ahead of her, careful not to step on the ice again. The arm she had fallen on felt funny, with a tingling sensation that seemed to be turning into pain. A savage growl disfigured her expression with fear and she looked over her shoulder again. Whatever those things were, they looked hideous. She saw the three creatures chasing them turn the same corner she just had. One of them slipped on an ice patch and rasped its blueish, scaly skin against the wall. With swift, feline movements it quickly regained its balance and resumed the chase, letting out a wolf-like growl.

The corridor turned another corner, and Dothea nearly crashed against a wall. What chamber was this? Where were they?

Oh no… this is not where we came in.

Her head spun, checking the room for an exit. There was only one door. She tried it with the others in tow.

“It’s locked!” Dothea told them.

They turned around. The creatures were closing in, snarling.

“Quick, the statues! Grab a spear!” Trissa said.

There was a statue on each side of the room. Two powerfully armored warriors were standing watch with spears at the ready. Trissa grabbed the one on the right, Ergon went for the one on the left.

“Oh, Goddess…” Lyra said, backing into the wall.

“We’ll have to knock the door down,” Tharius said, pushing Dothea out of the way.

“No,” she said. “You’ll just break a leg or something. Let me. I can open it.” She removed a small leather pouch from her jacket’s inner pocket. “I had this in my pocket when I woke up.”

“What’s that?” Tharius asked.

“My pickset,” Dothea replied. She opened the pouch and removed a couple of thin metal tools. “This is what I did for a living.”

“Here they come!” Ergon screamed.

“Help them,” Dothea told Tharius. “I can do this.”

Tharius nodded, still looking confused, then joined the others.

Closing her eyes, Dothea took a deep breath.

I’m on the beach,
she told herself, kneeling in front of the door.

“Get ready,” she heard Tharius saying from somewhere behind her.

I’ve done this hundreds of times.

She was so focused she didn’t even notice Trissa swinging a spear above her head and smashing it down on one of the creature’s necks. The thing fell to the ground, its head twisted in an impossible way, then hissed and quickly jumped back up.

Breathing steadily, Dothea inserted the torsion wrench into the lock, trying to ignore the pain in her arm. She turned the wrench, putting the lock into tension, then slid the pick along the locking orifice, feeling each pin with careful strokes.

Behind her, the battle raged. Pushing Lyra behind his back, Ergon stabbed one of the monsters, sending it hurling backwards.

“Did you see that?!” Ergon screamed. “They don’t bleed!”

I’m not here. I’m at the port. Seagulls are singing. Waves are crashing against the seawall.

Click!

The first pin locked into position and Dothea exhaled loudly, her eyes still shut and a drop of sweat rolling down her forehead.

Roaring, Trissa smashed the butt of her spear against the jaw of a monster, sending it reeling. The swing made her lose balance and exposed her back to another creature standing right next to the one she had hit. It grabbed Trissa’s neck and shirt, hissing.

“No!” Tharius screamed, kicking the thing in the gut. For a moment, he almost expected his foot to burst into flames or something.

Click!

Another pin locked into position. Dothea adjusted the pressure on the torsion wrench, being more careful than ever in her life. She couldn’t risk having to start the process all over again. The pain on her arm, however, was getting a bit too hard to ignore.

Click!

Only two left to go.

Behind her claws hacked and slashed wildly, barely kept at bay by Ergon’s spear.

“Lyra, stand back,” Ergon said.

His sister wanted to help. She was unarmed, just like Tharius, so she tried to mimic him and kick the monsters away. One of them grabbed her leg.

“Ergon!” she screamed.

Eyes widened, the boy wrapped an arm around his sister, pulling her. It left him with only one hand available to handle the lance, but the weapon was made of solid iron or something just as heavy. There was no way Ergon could wield it with just one hand. It left him completely exposed. One of the creatures attacked and four streaks of blood gushed from Ergon’s torso. He screamed with pain but managed to head-butt the creature and free his sister from its hold.

At the sound of Ergon’s cry Tharius spun behind him, took the spear from him, and tripped the monsters legs with a swing. He wasn’t even aware that he could move that fast.

“I did it!” Dothea jumped with her arms in the air. The door slid open. “Quick, through here.”

She held the door open, rushing the others with hand waves.

“Go!” Tharius said, swinging his spear at the monster’s legs, making sure all three of the beasts were either fallen or trying to get back up.

He was the last to get through, and just as he crossed Dothea slammed the door behind him. With a twirl, Tharius slipped the spear through the ring of the handle and placed it diagonally, barring the door from opening again. The door shook and trembled, horrible shrieks coming from the other side, but the spear kept it in place.

“Guys…” Trissa called.

Dothea and Tharius turned around. Ergon was on the floor, bleeding badly.

“I need water,” Lyra said, tearing the sleeve of her tunic. “I need water!”

“He won’t able to walk,” Tharius said, flatly. The sounds of punching and scratching and howling came from across the door. “We need to get out of here.”

Lyra sniffed and wiped a tear from her eyes. “I have to stop the bleeding first.”

The other three exchanged a glance.

“There’s no time, Lyra,” Trissa said.

Somehow the screeching and thundering became louder.

Lyra sobbed, but her hands picked up speed, wrapping her brother’s wound with her own rags. It made Ergon flinch and groan but he didn’t complain.

“I’ll carry him,” Tharius said.

“Are you mad?” Dothea asked. “He’s too heavy.”

“I need to stop the bleeding first,” Lyra insisted.

Ergon grabbed her arm and forced her to stop.

“Sis, I need stiches. You can’t stop the bleeding.”

“I’ll…” Lyra paused and her head spun around as if looking for something. “I’ll make a needle out of something.”

Ergon shook her. “Sis! We need to get out of here.”

“Lyra,” Tharius said, kneeling beside her, “I’ll carry your brother.” He looked up at Dothea and Trissa. “Take Lyra and go on ahead. Find help. Me and Ergon will be right behind you.”

The screams echoing through the corridors were terrifying, but not nearly as much as the bestial growls that came with them.

“It’s coming through here,” Aric said aiming at one of three corridors in front of them.

The others agreed with anxious nods. They ran as fast as they could. Another set of screams and roars made Aric jolt with fright. He tripped on a patch of ice and would have fallen to the floor if Clea hadn’t caught him.

“Are you alright?” Clea asked.

Aric froze in her arms. “Y
e‒
… yes, of course,” he mumbled. “Thank you.”