The Beginnings Omnibus: Beginnings 1, 2, 3 & Legend of Ashenclaw novella (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga) (54 page)

“I will, mother,” Phaera responded. “I believe this to be the will of Lilith. We are to help Zabalas in his quest and, when it is over, we
will
have the complete adulation of the demon queen!”

“You seem sure, dearest sister,” Hasna encouraged, obviously wanting Phaera to stay away. Hasna was just as wickedly beautiful as her sisters, Megnus observed, who fixed Phaera with a lively stare. There surely was an unspoken rivalry between them for one reason or another.

“Go then and pursue that which the demon queen demands,” Nahemia accepted with a wave of her hand. It was quite obvious to Megnus that she admired her daughter’s independence and, quite probably, the spoils that independence might bring to the Sine brood.

“Before I leave, understand that I have already received a vote of support from King Dolgrath Bloodstone and his entire people,” Zabalas added, waving a hand toward the slagfell warrior, who stood proudly before the beautiful demoness. “I have plans that involve the both of you.”

“Then it is best if you have an Aspect of Lilith within your ranks as well,” Phaera agreed. “If the Bloodstone clan has offered their support, then we must attempt to match that.  I wouldn’t want the slagfell to be able to claim a greater reward than we succubi!”

“Very well, I will contact you when the time draws near,” Zabalas directed toward Nahemia before moving to join the rest of his traveling group.

“Maldagan will send you on your way,” Nahemia gestured toward a human mage who also stood near her throne in front of the massive ogre.

With a few spoken words in an arcane dialect, the man summoned forth a glowing portal similar to the first one they had stepped through when they entered the Aspect Nahemia’s chambers. The group walked through it and exited into the caverns, once more at the entrance to Ulthon.

As they departed, Megnus overheard the chatter of the succubi as they exchanged cackles and planned their next strike on the surface of Wothlondia as they no doubt planned to secure more thralls.

Megnus shuddered in remembrance of Nahemia’s power as they left Ulthon, never wishing to have to set foot in the city of the succubi ever again.

The snow had just about come to a complete stop and the caravan was moving fairly easily again. Hours seemed to pass as the wagon shifted north and then south, east and then west as Garius continued his scrying for the holy symbol he hoped was still in the possession of the young priests. It was once again nearing sun’s peak of the following day when he felt the connection finally strengthen and called for the caravan to halt.

“How are you feeling, Rose?” Elec asked, sincerely concerned for her well-being. He offered her a piece of fruit he produced from his backpack, but she refused.

“I am much better now,” she replied, pointing and struggling to look down at her left collarbone just under where the arrow had been. “There isn’t even a scar…I cannot begin to comprehend what Garius was able to do,” she admitted, even though it obviously made her feel uncomfortable. “After only an eve’s rest, I feel as though the injuries never occurred.”

“Aye,” Elec stated. “He has a strong bond with The Shimmering One as well as all other deities that grant him access to many gifts, including both holy and necromantic powers, related to their respective planes. Those other planes of existence grant him access to channel harmful as well as healing powers.  According to elven lore,” Elec continued in a scholastic tone, “the Inquisitors always begin their paths as priests, chaplains or paladins of one particular deity before being chosen by the Inquisition,” Elec continued. “Once selected, they serve as an avatar for the entire Pantheon of Order, being granted access to the powers of all the gods, in exchange for keeping their temples safe from heresy.” Rose actually listened intently as he continued, obviously interested in his explanation in this subject. “The Inquisition opposes the demon lords of Pandemonium and also exposes evils that may be lurking within the sanctuaries they are sworn to protect, that may be disguised or hidden by magic. This includes demonic possessions….”

“And you think that is what happened here?” Rose surmised, asking the elf to clarify his supposition. Elec merely nodded. Rose and Saeunn nodded to one another also, as if understanding this scenario for possibly the first time. They had not known exactly what or where Garius’s faction was, nor did they know what the purpose of the Inquisition or the Faceless Knights of Order were. They had begun only now to understand it.

“The Inquisition was put in place by the gods to watch over their many worshippers on our corporeal plane of existence, Krotto, as it is known. So, if the lore is correct, then he is an almost limitless vessel of divine influence. He is given access to all planes of existence and can retrieve what lies dormant there at will.”

“In exchange for his devotion and loyalty,” Rose added.

“It makes sense as his armor bears the signs of all gods,” Saeunn stated. “I have seen the sign of The Champion on his pauldrons.”

Rose flopped down into one of the chairs in the caravan and kept nodding, trying to accept it all, still unable to sort out her emotions toward the stoic Inquisitor. Though he seemed to make his feelings for her abundantly clear, she assumed, still shockingly disappointed at his abrupt rejection.

“Well, that about explains it,” Rose reasoned, trying to wrap her head around it all. Suddenly, they heard a rustling from outside the caravan, and Rose stood up from her chair, her hands moving to the hilts of each dagger.

“It is near!” they heard Garius yelling to them as he approached the caravan. He stopped running as Elec poked his head out of the covered doorway.

“Come! I have found the aura of The Shimmering One!” Garius shouted again, now turning back in the opposite direction and moving as quickly as his armor would allow.

He headed back to repeat the words of the spell in order to confirm his previous findings. Garius finished the divination and moved across the snow covered ground toward the base of the eastern side of the Oakcrest Mountain range. Elec, Saeunn and Rose hurried after him.

“Spread out here and look for a burrow or cave opening, or hole in the ground,” Garius instructed. Each of them began their search.

“Here!” Rose called out, “There is a cave mouth here.”

The others ran over to investigate, Garius plodding along slowly after them, as the combination of the armor coupled with treading through snow, made his movements difficult.

“I knew that you brought me back from the brink of death for a reason,” Rose teased Garius with a wink, trying to put the trials of her recent past behind her. Garius was watching her as she smiled then, but she could not tell what his expression was beneath his helm.

“This must be it,” Garius decided after completing another prayer, reassuring his earlier finding. “The aura is stronger here, but somewhat distant still…they are beneath us,” he reasoned as he stepped into the cave entrance. “Keep your eyes open for anything as this cave must continue deeper into the Subterrane.”

“There certainly was a large group here recently…humanoid,” Saeunn pointed out, bending low on one knee to inspect the ground. “I cannot tell how long ago, but these prints were made of late.” She gestured to an area right at the entrance to the cave where there was freshly dried mud. “They seem to be many in number and they do not tread lightly.” Elec and Rose both nodded, seeing the tracks clearly. Garius shrugged, looking at them too but he could not make sense of them.

“That is why you are here,” Garius said at last, finally recognizing at least one footprint in the solid ground that had at some point in the recent past, been soft enough to capture an impression.

Garius quickly conferred with the construct driving the caravan, ordering it to maneuver the caravan under a thick cropping of tree cover and instructed the construct to remain there.

Then, at his nod, they took their first steps into the narrow cave mouth. As they began their descent into the underground passageways, Garius’s vision was beginning to fade in the lightless corridor after only a few dozen paces and he did not have a torch or an oil lamp on his person. He began a quiet prayer to the sun-god to grant him light and cast an enchantment on his breastplate, causing it to give off a dull, but effective light. It illuminated the way ahead of him for roughly five paces allowing to maneuver through the passageway safely.

“Can you do the same for me?” Saeunn asked. She was not supportive of magic in general, but Garius realized she was beginning to gain the trust of his abilities.

“Hold out your blade,” he instructed her. He refocused on her weapon and repeated the invocation, causing the same light to emanate from her blade’s shaft.

The four of them began to traverse a series of winding tunnels, which began a steady descent for several hundred paces until it leveled out. They rounded a corner coming into a vast chamber that opened up before them. Garius was thankful as he did not like the enclosed quarters in the least. He heard the sound of running water in the cavern and gathered that there was a natural pool or stream not far away.

“Hold,” Elec whispered, suddenly. “Allow Rose and I to scout ahead now; I think I heard something off in the distance.” He gestured toward the cavernous space ahead.

“I can see very well in the darkness. I assume that Rose is able to see as I can,” Elec said, letting the declaration linger, but not receiving an affirmation from Rose. Garius and Saeunn nodded their agreement to Elec, but before he could turn around to coordinate anything with Rose, she disappeared into the darkness.

“Catch me if you can, elf,” they heard in a murmur around them, recognizing it to be Rose’s voice. Elec stealthily padded off by himself into the darkness, holding an elixir anxiously in one hand.

Barguth turned the corner slowly and headed back up the lengthy corridors that lead to the large cavern with the natural pool.  That was where they had encountered and defeated the giant spider hatchlings, he recalled with a scowl. Once there, he knew it was a steady incline to the surface. He closed in on that room with the goblinoids following closely behind and slowed the worg to a trot, allowing the others to catch up. The worg growled as if sensing something around the bend in the tunnel, which led into the spacious chamber ahead.

Barguth dismounted from the worg quickly, removed his enchanted dagger and motioned for the others to be quiet. They obeyed his request. He waved to two goblins to scout out ahead, as he knew they were relatively quiet and light on their feet. He held the worg back, although it wanted to advance in the worst way. He punished it with the leather strap once more, and then clamped its maw shut with that very same strap, not allowing it to make a sound. Then he indicated to the four orcs and the lone ograth to move out. He followed them, but stayed many paces back while holding the worg at bay by its collar.

The two goblins moved forward silently into the cavern. There was a pool to their far right and several large mineral deposits jutting out of the ground and protruding from the ceiling, making it seem as if it were the maw of Ashenclaw herself, Barguth irrationally imagined.

 The orcs and ograth followed behind the goblins slowly as Barguth finally entered the area with the worg directed him, growling still through the leather band. But the goblin’s tiny arms simply could not hold the huge beast any longer. He quickly removed the strap from its mouth and watched it as it rushed off, disappearing into the darkness behind a rather large series of stalagmites.

Barguth watched from the shadows as a figure suddenly appeared from nowhere right next to one of the two goblin scouts. It erupted with an impossibly fast sequence of attacks, consisting of two consecutive slashes aimed at the head, which the surprised goblin somehow managed to stop with its shield. The green-skinned creature could not stop the third attack, however. A right-hand thrust penetrated its defenses, scoring a deep wound in its neck.

The figure—a woman for sure—overcommitted on that third jab, Barguth discerned, which appeared to send her off balance ever so slightly. She caught herself at the last second but appeared to be leaning into the goblin’s shield, just as the goblin released it, instinctively clutching at the wound on its neck and falling to the ground.

The second goblin, apparently recovering from the initial surprise, entered the melee and attempted a thrust to the exposed back of the woman, thinking her unaware. The attack was spoiled as she simply vanished. The thrust, however, almost hit the prone goblin still endeavoring to stem the blood flow from his neck.

The accidental attacker caught his balance, halting the deathblow in time with an outstretched arm as the two goblins stared down in unison at the blade. The dagger’s tip was angled unintentionally for the chest of the prone goblin, still lying on its back. Before either goblin could move, however, the woman appeared behind them.

Barguth watched as she grabbed the dagger arm of the goblin by the elbow and forced it hard into the prone goblin’s chest, finishing the thrust. As she did that, she simultaneously drove one of her own blades solidly into the attacking goblin’s back.

Barguth witnessed the carnage with his mouth open. It all happened so fast. He watched as she drove another dagger into his fellow goblin’s back and watched the life force flow from the wound before she faded into the darkness once more.

Barguth gulped slowly and remained frozen in place.