“Shortly,” she replied. “Our scryer, Callius, will transport you all to a secluded area within the hive. He is pinpointing that spot at this very moment and, once he has found it, he will join us here and open a portal.”

  Behind her, the front doors opened and several elves walked in carrying wooden trays.

  “While you are waiting, please enjoy some refreshment. We have freshly squeezed fruit juice and bread still hot from the oven if any of you are hungry or thirsty.”

  The elves left the trays on the table and existed the hall. Everyone stood up and moved to fill a glass with juice and take a small warm loaf of soft bread. Antoine remained standing in place and Hallic glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.

  The vampire shook his head silently and the rogue smiled his understanding.

  After everyone had returned to their seats, Ethmira sat down as well and looked around the table.

  “Does anyone need anything for the task ahead?” she asked the group. “Weapons? Water flasks? Rations? Just ask and they will be provided.”

  “I wouldn't mind taking a flask of water along with me,” Hallic told her. “Underground tunnels can sometimes be dusty places. A cough from a dry throat might alert an enemy.”

  “Ah, of course. I will fetch one at once. Anyone else?”

  Everyone else shook their heads and Ethmira stood up and hurried out of the hall.

  “Malcolm, I noticed that you are unarmed,” Hallic said. “Am I to assume that you will be using more...natural weapons during this mission?”

  The big man grinned.

  “A very diplomatic way to put it,” he replied. “Yes, you are correct. Not necessarily because I prefer doing battle as a werewolf though. My eyesight is quite good even in this form, but when I transform, I can see in almost complete darkness. I have a feeling that I will need that advantage. Plus, werewolves do not use weapons very well and armor would simply be a hindrance, so I will go as I am. ”

  “I understand. Do we have a plan?” Hallic asked as he looked at the others. “How will we even find the emissary once we get to the stronghold?”

  “I will locate our target,” Magnus told him as he put down his empty glass. “The spirits have granted my request for their aid in this and they will know exactly where she is once we arrive. They will pass this knowledge on to me.”

  Hallic stared at him, nodding slowly.

  “I'll take your word for that,” he replied. “I'm relieved to know that we won't be wandering around witlessly looking for her in that place.”

  “That would be a nightmare,” Sarah muttered.

  “Yes, that's a good way to put it,” Hallic agreed. “We want to get in, get the job done and get out again with a minimal amount of contact.”

  He grinned ruefully.

  “I doubt that we'll be able to avoid clashing with those beasts,” he added. “But let's try to keep things as quiet as possible. The emissary can apparently use magic and, if she believes that she is in danger, she'll Gate away and we may never get this chance again.”

  “She won't be able to do that.”

  The group looked over at the door just as Ethmira walked back in. The slender young elf who had been standing beside the pillar was just behind her.

  She approached the conference table and offered Hallic a water flask carved from a single piece of wood.

  He thanked her and admired the workmanship of the flask before he tied it to his belt.

  “What do you mean, she won't be able to Gate away to safety?” he asked the ranger.

  Ethmira waved the young elf forward and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder as she introduced him.

  “This is Callius, our only surviving scryer. He has assured me that, once you enter the goblin settlement, he will be able to block anyone attempting to use magic to leave that place.”

  “Anyone with evil intent,” Callius corrected her politely.

  He gestured at Sarah, who was staring at him with great interest.

  “This young lady is able to Gate. I assume that she will bring the group back once their mission is completed.”

  “That's what I mean to do, yes,” Sarah said with some surprise. “How did you know that?”

  “I can sense your power,” Callius told her with a shy smile. “I can sense many different kinds of powers from all of you.”

  He looked at Hallic, who was grinning at him.

  “Yes, even from you, sir,” he told the rogue. “You may not command magics, but you have certain unique gifts of your own.”

  Hallic's grin faded and he pursed his lips thoughtfully.

  “Have you located a likely spot for us to enter the hive?” Malcolm asked the scryer.

  “Yes sir, I have,” Callius assured him. “I have found a storeroom several levels below the main section of the stronghold where I can send you without alerting the goblins.”

  He looked back at Hallic.

  “I am sorry, but that is the safest location that I could find,” he told the rogue.

  “Don't apologize,” Hallic replied. “I am grateful that you can do that much.”

  Callius nodded and he looked at Ethmira.

  “Whenever you are ready, Captain, I will open a portal.”

  She glanced at each member of the group.

  “Are you all prepared?” she asked them.

  In response, everyone got to their feet as Callius crossed the room to stand next to the anchor.

  Antoine finally moved from his shadowed position, avoiding any direct sunlight as he approached the pillar.

  The others joined him and Hallic realized that the vampire was almost as tall as Malcolm. From his own height of just over five feet, he had to crane his neck up to see their faces.

  “You know, I'm normally not intimidated by people who are taller than me,” he joked. “But by the Stone, you two are absurdly large.”

  Malcolm chuckled at the rogue, while Antoine simply looked down at him expressionlessly.

  “Not much of a sense of humor, I see,” Hallic told him.

  “I am laughing on the inside,” Antoine replied evenly.

  Sarah grinned at him.

  “You made a joke!” she exclaimed. “Wow. You're getting better, Antoine.”

  “Thank you, I am trying.”

  Hallic snorted in amusement and looked at Ethmira.

  “I think that we're ready,” he told her.

  “Very well.”

  She stepped back and took at moment to meet everyone's eyes one at a time.

  “You all know what needs to be done,” she told them. “All of you are too important to the future of our races to lose, so please take care. If you find yourselves in an untenable situation, retreat. There is no shame in pulling back to fight another day.”

  “Trust me, I have no intention of dying in a goblin hole today,” Hallic assured her. “And I doubt that my new friends do either.”

  Sarah looked nervous, while Magnus appeared stoic and Antoine was simply waiting silently. Malcolm was the only one of the group who seemed eager to start the mission.

  Ethmira turned to Callius and nodded.

  “Do it,” she said.

  “Yes, Captain,” he replied.

  The scryer placed his hand on the anchor and the stone responded immediately. It flared with power as brightly as the sunlight beaming into the room and Antoine hissed irritably and took a step back.

  “It will not harm you, sir,” Callius assured him. “You have my word.”

  “As you say,” the vampire said coolly.

  A portal opened up to the right of the pillar and the scryer nodded at Hallic.

  “The link is established, sir,” he told him. “But you must hurry. That dark servant may sense it if I keep it open for too long.”

  “Right then. Who wants to go first?”

  Before anyone could reply, Antoine strode forward and stepped through the blue oval. Sarah yelped in surprise and leaped through after him. Malcolm and Magnus hurried to follow them and Hallic found himself alone with the two elves.

  “Well, that was abrupt,” he observed with a shake of his head. “Amateurs.”

  He smiled at Ethmira.

  “See you soon,” he said lightly.

  “I'll hold you to that,” she replied seriously.

  Hallic waved and jumped through the portal, which immediately closed behind him and vanished.

  “Will they return?” Callius asked as he stepped away from the anchor.

  Ethmira shook her head.

  “I don't know,” she replied as she stared at the pillar. “I can only hope so. But if any group of people can survive in that place, it is those five extraordinary individuals.”

  Callius nodded slowly.

  “I pray that you are right,” he told her.

  “So do I.”

  Chapter 24

  “Well, isn't this lovely?”

  Hallic stood in the center of a dark room, the scent of earth mixed with a sour smell that made him wrinkle his nose. Large wooden boxes and misshapen canvas bags were stacked haphazardly all around the storeroom, obviously dropped carelessly by whatever goblins worked in the stronghold. The air felt dank and heavy. The walls, ceiling and floor had been roughly dug out of the earth and the rogue was amazed that the entire warren hadn't collapsed in on itself.

  “My people know a thing or two about constructing underground tunnels and rooms,” he told the others. “And this place is so badly made that I'm afraid to make any noise in case it caves in.”

  Sarah stared at him, wide-eyed.

  “Could that happen?” she whispered nervously.

  Hallic smiled at her.

  “No, no. I'm just joking,” he reassured her. “This stronghold has been in existence for many years. If it hasn't collapsed by now, it probably never will. I'm just offended as a dwarf that the damned goblins can live like this. Our tunnels and caverns are built to last. This place looks like it was dug out by animals. Huh. Probably was, now that I think of it.”

  Malcolm was stalking around the room, his head just brushing against the damp, earthen ceiling. There was no door at the entrance into the storeroom and no source of light to be seen. And yet, a dull luminescence made it possible to see vaguely. Phosphorescent bits of stone seemed to be embedded into the earth of the walls and floor.

  Antoine moved to stand next to the doorway. He was frowning in concentration, obviously listening intently for any nearby threats.

  “There are no goblins in the vicinity,” he said quietly after a moment. “We are clear for now.”

  “Good. Give me a moment to locate our target,” Magnus told the group.

  Hallic nodded and blinked his eyes rapidly, shifting his vision into the infrared spectrum. Like all dwarves, he could operate in almost total darkness because he could see the warmth radiated by all living things and by surfaces and objects. It was second nature for his people and the rogue smiled with relief as he instantly saw much more clearly.

  “Are you able to see in here?” he asked Sarah, who was watching Magnus as he silently communed with his spirit guide.

  She nodded as she glanced around the room.

  “I can, yes,” she replied. “The goblins certainly are a messy bunch, aren't they?”

  “They're not much more than beasts,” the rogue replied with disgust. “That is one of the main reasons that we need to eliminate their leader. Without her guidance, they will turn on each other. The real battles will come after that, when our forces can attack each tribe separately. But that is something we can worry about once we succeed today.”

  “You're sure that we will?” Sarah asked him, lowering her voice.

  Hallic raised an eyebrow.

  “You aren't?”

  She shrugged and pulled her wand out of a pocket of her baggy trousers. She twirled it absently and the yellow gem set in its tip glowed softly.

  “I am used to working alone,” Sarah told him. “I have only been with Antoine for a month or so, but both of us are solitary hunters when we are fighting our enemies. I suspect that he is as uneasy as I am about this situation.”

  She had been speaking quietly, but Antoine turned his head to look at her from where he stood at the doorway.

  “You are mistaken,” he said tonelessly. “I do not feel unease, dear one. In fact, I feel nothing at all and I will not hesitate to take the fight to my enemies. I am simply waiting for the shaman to find their leader.”

  He turned his head to stare out of the entrance again and Hallic smiled at Sarah.

  “Dear one?” he whispered.

  He could see the heat rising in her face as she looked away in embarrassment.

  “I know he says that he has no feelings,” she murmured. “But I think that Antoine is fond of me. I'm not sure why, but there it is.”

  “Good. An unfeeling killer might have his uses, but emotions are the commonality that connects us all, dwarves and humans and elves alike. If he had lost all of his, I would distrust Antoine.”

  “He hasn't,” Sarah assured him.

  Hallic nodded, but he didn't reply as Magnus opened his eyes and looked at the rogue.

  “We found her,” he said. “Crow tells me that she is located two levels above this one. I am locked on to her location now. Once we reach that level, I can lead us right to her.”

  “Excellent,” Hallic said with a smile. “So who wants to lead the way? I can take point if you'd like.”

  “Not necessary,” Antoine said. “I can feel the minute ebb and flow of the air currents down here. I will lead the group to the ramp that ascends to the upper levels.”

  He strode out of the room and Malcolm hurried after him. Magnus glanced at Hallic and Sarah.

  “There's a ramp? How does he know that?”

  She shrugged.

  “He's a vampire. Even after a month in his company, I do not know the full extent of his powers. But if Antoine says that there is a ramp, then I would take him at his word.”

  “Then let's go,” Hallic told them. “Our companions aren't going to wait for us, apparently, and we can't let them get too far ahead.”

  He led Sarah and Magnus out of the storeroom and into a narrow hallway dug out of the raw earth. The ground was hard-packed dirt, evidence of much use. The rogue was relieved that the area seemed to be used mostly for storage and that no goblins were stationed on that level. If they could avoid contact with the enemy for as long as possible, it would make the operation a much smoother one.

  The three of them relaxed as they saw that Antoine and Malcolm hadn't moved so far ahead that they were out of sight. The big man looked back at them from down the hallway and gestured for them to join him.

  Hallic and the others passed three other open doorways leading into more storerooms. There was a brooding silence around them and the rogue listened intently, uneasy at not hearing anything, considering that there were probably thousands of goblins living in the warren.

  “What is it?” he whispered as they reached Malcolm.

  The warrior nodded ahead.

  “Antoine sensed several goblins standing guard at the ramp that leads up and down from this level,” he told the group. “He has gone ahead to deal with them.”

  “Is that wise?” Magnus asked anxiously. “All it will take is a single scream to alert this entire hive.”

  Sarah squeezed his forearm.

  “Don't worry,” she told the shaman. “Antoine will handle it quietly. He's very good at this sort of thing.”

  Magnus frowned at her.

  “You've seen him in action, I take it?”

  She nodded silently.

  “Come along,” Malcolm told them. “Let's keep up. I have a feeling that our friend isn't going to wait patiently for us if we lag behind.”

  He led the way around a curve in the hallway, moving with surprising grace and silence for such a large man.

  Hallic followed soundlessly and Sarah stayed close to him. Magnus brought up the rear, glancing several times over his shoulder. The tight quarters and brooding atmosphere of the tunnels were foreign to the shaman and his sense of unease weighed heavily on him.

  After a minute or so, the hallway opened up into a round chamber. A half dozen openings led away from this room and a wide doorway led to the ramp that connected the many levels of the stronghold.

  Standing silently in front of this opening was Antoine. At his feet were three bodies; goblins twisted in death. They were wearing random pieces of metal armor and armed with rusty, jagged swords. There was a lot of blood.

  “Ah,” Magnus said softly. “You were right, Sarah. He does know what he is doing.”

  Hallic walked over to the vampire, glancing once at the corpses before he addressed the silent figure.

  “No problems?” he asked Antoine.

  “None. They died quietly. “But there will be more guards on the levels above this one,” Antoine warned him. “If this is the area where they store food and other items, then I would guess that the quarters for their warriors will probably be on the next level up. And above that one is where our quarry is located. There will be a great deal of resistance there.”

  “Of that I have no doubt,” Hallic replied as the others joined them. “But if Callius can block her retreat, all we have to do is reach the emissary, take her out and Gate to safety.”

  He smiled at Sarah.

  “Sounds easy enough, doesn't it?”

  She did not return his smile.

  “Somehow I doubt that it will be,” she told him.

  “It will not be easy at all,” Malcolm growled. “But if we are quick, perhaps we can get ahead of any reinforcements that will be alerted by our main attack. As Hallic has said, we have one target and one target only. Any goblins who fall are simply collateral damage.”

  “Interesting way to describe it,” Magnus said heavily. “These are living beings, my friend, not just dominoes that you can easily sweep away.”

  Malcolm looked at the shaman, his expression softening.

  “You have good heart, Magnus, and under normal circumstances I would agree with you. But we are a raiding party and we have a job to do. Lock away your emotions. These goblins and their leader would happily slaughter us and every other member of the three mortal races. We fight for survival here and there is no room for sentiment.”

 

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