Tom Liberman - The Staff of Sakatha

“And Tenebrous,” said Melwani in a quiet voice.

“That creature is doomed,” said the chieftain with a dismissive wave of his hand. “He thinks to betray the Great Lady of Death. He will undoubtedly return to the Deathlands once again to see if he can find his way out. His power is not for us to worry about. Samprokus,” he shouted suddenly and walked to the door, “gather your warriors, we will attack the reptile men and the freeriders and disperse them to clear the way for Thantos.”

“And Tenebrous,” repeated the wizard.

“Let him fend for himself,” said the chieftain with a smile. “This is about the survival of my people and he can ooze into the wastes as far as I care.” Ramkall turned to the warlord and looked him steadily in the eye, “You heard my orders and will carry them out?”

Samprokus nodded his head, “I will gather the warriors for the attack.”

“I don’t like this traipsing about underground,” said Odellius looking up at the low ceiling only a few inches above his head as he put his hand on the rough cut stone wall.

“These mines are old,” said First Rider Vipsanius as he also put his hand on the stone. “No one’s cut here in centuries and the support beams are rotted to nothing. I suggest we move cautiously from here on out.”

Jon nodded his head, “It does seem dangerous in here, but those reptile men went before us and nothing looks caved in. Maybe it’s sturdier than it looks?”

“We move with caution,” said the First Rider again as he ran his hand over the rough wall. “The lizard creatures are even less used to underground travel than us and if they set off a cave-in, we might suffer the consequences.”

“Their trail is easy enough to follow,” said Odellius looking at a webbed footprint in a little muddy rivulet that emerged from the nearby wall. “They take no precautions and do not imagine they are followed.”

“Nor do we take precautions,” said Vipsanius and looked into the darkness; the glow stone in his hand penetrated just far enough ahead to see the narrow corridor sweep around to the right. “These caves are occupied by darklings I’d guess and they do not like visitors.”

“We killed a darkling,” said Sorus his eyes wide in the gloom. “They didn’t seem so tough,” he continued and put his hand to the blade at his side. It was difficult to believe that not many days ago Sir Germanius used it to fight the white dragon.

“They come in many shapes and sizes,” said Odellius and put his own huge hand on the thick blade at his side. “I’ve seen them eight feet tall and covered with black fur,” he continued, “and wizards and priests as well. The little ones come in waves and they pop out from any nook or cranny. Do not take them lightly. We defeat them easily enough on the surface as they cannot stand up against a cavalry charge but here, in their black lands, we are the strangers and our tactics a disadvantage.”

Vipsanius nodded, “Odellius is right, Sorus, never underestimate a foe in any case. That’s a certain way to die. I’ll take the lead; spread out a few feet between each man so we can keep watch and move slowly. Sorus, you come second, Jon third, and Odellius bring up the rear.”

The four immediately spread out in this order with the appropriate amount of space between them as each looked up to the ceiling and the many rocky protrusions that seemed to hang over them like dark clouds on a cold day. “They could be anywhere,” said Jon as he pulled out his huge gray sword and poked at a little hole in the wall.

“They’ll see us before we see them,” said the First Rider shining his light ahead. “Their eyes are light sensitive and they only use dark red and blue glow stones. Our bright lights will attract their attention long before we see them.”

“They’ll know about the reptile men too,” said Sorus with a grin, “and they’re in front of us.”

“That’s true,” said Vipsanius from up ahead, “but it doesn’t mean they won’t attack us. The reptiles might have an alliance with the creatures down here, something prearranged.” Suddenly the First Rider came to a complete halt and stared at the passageway that opened to his right.

“What is it,” said Sorus from directly behind.

“Look at this,” said the First Rider, his hand on the stone cut as he ran it back and forth. “It’s smooth, like glass, like a door frame.”

Jon and Odelluis came up to examine the wall and nodded their heads. “What does it mean?” said Jon, “I’m not much for caving.”

“I’ve read about cuts like this,” said the First Rider as his hand came to his chin, “but I’ve never seen the like. It might be a secret passageway just opened by the lizards,” he said and shone his light down the path. “Or someone just cut this pathway with significantly more precision than any we’ve yet found.”

“I don’t like the idea of coincidence,” said Odellius as he paused to take a look behind him just in the nick of time as a little darkling warrior stabbed at his back with a sharp knife. “Watch it,” he shouted, turned his body to the left, lifted his sword, and caught the creature under the chin with the hilt of his blade. The creature flew through the air, smashed into the wall behind them with a crash, and then crumpled to the floor.

More of the little creatures came out of nooks and crannies in the wall in a wave, and a huge, furry beast with four horns coming out of its head joined them from the open corridor ahead of the First Rider.

Jon, nearest to Odellius, flicked his huge stone blade at the first of the charging little creatures and connected, which immediately sent it to the floor with a crushed skull and one eyeball popped out of its socket. Odellius formed up with Jon, although the two of them barely fit side by side in the corridor, and faced off against the dozen or so creatures that came at them. One of the beasts, attached to the wall like a giant black spider, launched a dagger that sailed by Jon’s ear and hit the First Rider in the back of the shoulder, but luckily hilt first as it spun half a rotation too far.

Jon leaped at that foe, his long reach catching the creature by surprise, and chopped its arm off with a little flick of his wrist. Odellius reached up and grabbed a second creature that tried to drop from the rocks behind him and used it as a shield when a brace of daggers flew through the air. The young knight of gray raised his sword to swing again but the narrow confines of the cave knocked his swing off target and the little darkling he tried to hit dodged easily away and, with a riposte strike, nicked Jon’s arm just under his chain shirt.

“It’s too damn close in here,” shouted Odellius, dropping his sword and hurling the dagger-poked darkling past Jon. It smashed into two more of the beasts that hung from the wall. “Just smash ‘em.”

Jon instantly dropped his sword and plucked another creature from the wall, his massive grip catching it around the leg. He squeezed hard and a snap was followed by a high-pitched shriek. He tossed the creature at another up ahead; the second creature tried to dodge, and this allowed the huge gray knight to stride forward and punch it in the face shattering its nose and cheekbones. It seemed almost instantly that Odellius joined him, and their fists snapped the faces, ribs, arms, and legs of the two or three creatures that remained while the rest suddenly fled into little nooks and crannies in the walls.

At the front of the long corridor Vipsanius and Sorus stood side by side as a massive shaped loomed out of the darkness. It stood over seven feet tall, was covered by thick white fur, its pink eyes glared out at them, and it held a massive stone club in its hand. “Steady,” said the First Rider with a quick nod to Sorus as they pulled out their blades.