A Hollow Mountain (The Brightest Shadow Book 2), page 80
When she reached the level of the tunnel, Celivia raced to catch up with Tani. They attacked together, Tani's knives lashing out repeatedly even as Celivia cracked her whip. Every time Jeraeli attempted to catch one of their weapons, she was immediately threatened by another, driving her steadily back. One of Tani's knives even opened a cut on Jeraeli's arms, but the Catai could outlast both of them.
They didn't need to last forever. When Tani landed a throw that sent Jeraeli stumbling back, Celivia turned from her to the grate. She might not have the key, but her rebirth had given her sein a ferocious strength she'd never had before.
Throwing her sein and blood into the same motion, Celivia heaved at the grate. It had been well-crafted, designed to keep out even trained warriors, but the metal squealed as it began to give. On the other side, she was surprised to see Puga alongside several of the workers and a few women.
"The... the poison..." Puga sounded terrified and kept looking over his shoulder, where she saw wisps of green slithering across the floor. "It's getting closer."
"Just wait." Celivia braced her feet and tried again. Her hands were twisting the steel, and she could see the hinges beginning to give, so she only needed a little more...
Something struck the side of her face. Without her feet braced, Celivia went flying, skidding across the rocky tier far from the door.
As she rose to her feet, feeling blood trickling down the side of her head, she saw what had happened. Tani had been forced to retreat to one of the islands amid the poison, which had given Jeraeli enough time to attack. After examining the failed attempt to break the door, Jeraeli smirked and leapt out to the center as well.
Targeting Tani. Celivia realized that Jeraeli was exploiting her commitments again, tempting her to return to the door and leave Tani alone. There was no time to do both, as Tani was struggling to defend herself, retreating down the ridge into the poison.
Then she had a choice to make. Her feet had left the ground before she realized that she'd made it.
Celivia lashed out with her whip, but Jeraeli deflected both attempts easily. A moment later her smirk became pain as one of Tani's knives dug into her thigh. Jeraeli grasped the blade and tore it out, but then Celivia struck her knife-first.
The knife went deep and Jeraeli tumbled backward, falling into the poisonous mists. Yet even as she landed, she returned to her feet, eyes glowing through the green haze. Then those eyes closed, and Jeraeli began to move, circling around their small island. Though the disruption of the mist made it easy to track her movements, that trail of green could strike at any time.
"Isn't she weakening yet?" Tani asked. The Rhen woman had more than a few cuts and bruises, but shifted to the center looking out.
"Not yet." Celivia stepped to guard her back and they remained in place, conserving their strength instead of trying to track Jeraeli's movements.
Yet slowing down made Celivia aware of the deep pain stabbing into her gut. She could keep fighting, but with each movement the injury bled more through her robes. Worst of all, Jeraeli was the one who wanted to delay their battle. She was intentionally taunting them, hoping that Celivia would attempt to jump back to the door. If she did, she would certainly be punished for it.
Every movement of the mist reminded her that Puga and many others could be dying of poison. Celivia looked desperately for someone else to help, hoping that Slaten would emerge from the tunnel or that Veron would finish her fight. But the smoke only roiled from its source and Veron was still doing battle with Myuneras overhead.
Then she spotted a small figure creeping along the lowest ledge of the mine near where the key had fallen. Celivia recognized Splinters a moment before he plunged over the edge.
~ ~ ~
Just what was she doing? Laeri asked herself that over and over as she continued shuffling ahead. She believed in the Legend, she truly did. For so long she had held on to the hope that humanity could achieve a glorious victory and that the Deathspawn could be eradicated forever.
And yet here she was, leading so many of them to safety.
When Celivia had appeared again, Laeri had felt happy even though she should have been upset. Yet the further she went from that moment, the more guilt crowded into her mind. If a younger version of herself could see her now, would she feel shame? Horror? Disgust?
"Move!" The Deathspawn named Ghasfik did the yelling, which was good, because Laeri was too uncertain to raise her voice. He seemed to be good at it, convincing everyone to move faster and follow his commands. Now they had reached the top, though the line behind them struck her as too short. Something terrible had happened below, but the longer she looked at the others fighting, the worse she felt.
"What do we do now?" One of the other Deathspawn turned to her and Laeri blinked in surprise.
Her? She wasn't sure if she wanted to be helping them at all, much less how she should be helping. Yet now more were staring at her, she needed to say something... "I... the Portantese errants here are your allies, right? Is there an outpost nearby?"
"Due south. Keeping an eye on us."
"Then send them there." Laeri found more strength as she spoke, though each word weighed heavily on her heart. "Tell them it's an evacuation and, umm... that you're going to leave Portant for good. They should evacuate everyone to safety, right?"
Instead of answering her, Ghasfik simply turned and began shouting again. "Stop watching the warriors and march! Go south until you reach the human outpost, and tell them Kaen Celivia rescued you!" He repeated the words in Futhik and Reili, yelling the scared group into action.
As she saw them go, Laeri still didn't know what she was supposed to feel. Would Melal shout at her when she returned? It would have been so much easier if they had let her remain behind and simply heal. That was all she was good at, though even there, she had betrayed her oaths...
"This way, Naena." Though she didn't understand all the Deathspawn's strange words or accented Coran, she followed numbly when he led her toward the large building. "There are injured that need your help."
"Injured?" Laeri looked up in hope, then felt further guilt for it. Everything became even worse when she saw that the injured people were both Deathspawn. One lying on his back and groaning, several bones broken, while the other bled from a strange knife still deep in his eye.
As she walked toward them, Laeri found herself thinking of the horrible decision she'd made to let Chief Bufogu die. The Bloodskin clan was in chaos because of her selfishness, because she had abandoned her duties as a healer.
Yet the men before her were Deathspawn. She knew in her heart that her oaths were only meant for humans, and that every Deathspawn who perished was a victory for their side. Even if these were Celivia's allies, they would only try to stop Melal, and they would die in the end. And yet there was a shallow understanding of the words of her commitments, not the spirit, and those words told her to heal all those she could.
Slowly Laeri sank to her knees beside the first Deathspawn. She had taken decisions of life and death into her own hands and she still suffered for it. This time, she would simply heal and let the Legend sort out destiny.
~ ~ ~
Slaten stumbled down the corridor nearly blind, regretting every breath. Some light filtered in from the outside, but as he went deeper, he would soon be in darkness, the green so deep it was nearly black. He felt lightheaded and his body was breathing much deeper, which could be the first stages of the poison. All he could do was press on.
He saw a light around a corner and advanced carefully, but discovered that it was only a fallen torch, the rags burning against the ground. It had fallen from the hands of a corpse that lay across the tunnel. As Slaten picked up the torch, he observed the emaciated mansthein man. Blood covered his chin and shirt, while his eyes and nose were horribly burned. If that was the effect of the poison, then Slaten thought he could yet continue.
Yet as he moved forward, the path split, forcing his first decision. If this mine was like the one in Ith Ire, then it would be branching corridors clawing blindly in the rock. He needed to continue moving deeper, as his current tunnels had smooth floors and unlit torches along the walls, as if they were commonly used.
Descending a ramp, Slaten observed less finished tunnels, but he wasn't certain if he was closer. Despite his distance from the surface, the clashing of steel still echoed to him from above, slicing apart his concentration. Though he felt a bright pit in his stomach, it was nothing he could possibly use to find the seal.
Then he heard what he had known was coming: the pounding of the Catai's feet catching up to him. He lit the torch from the entrance and held one in each hand.
Slaten raised his torches behind him and waited to catch a glimpse. When the Catai came into view, eclipsing the tunnel, Slaten's instincts told him to run. But there was nothing behind him except the seal, if anything. He got one good look, then hurled his spare torch at the Catai's face. Though the man smashed it aside with his bare hands, the sudden light made his pupils shrink, hopefully ruining his ability to see in the dark.
As he fled, Slaten considered his options. Not to escape, but to fight, mad as that seemed. The Catai had taken serious injuries from Veron and held one arm stiffly, though that didn't slow him enough for them to be equals. But the other thing Slaten had seen during his glimpse was that the Catai wielded a long two-handed sword.
When Slaten found a narrow corridor with a level floor, he dropped his torch, drew his sword, and waited. As soon as the Catai charged into view, he struck.
He was surprised that his cut actually landed, scoring a line of blood across the Catai's chest. It bit deeper than it once would have, but it wasn't enough to slow the hulking mass of sein. The Catai swung his sword one-handed, awkward in the tunnel but more than enough to force him to step back.
With the tunnel walls tight around them, Slaten could almost hold his own. The Catai was limited in his ability to swing, allowing Slaten to push aside his clumsy strikes and then thrust back. Several times the tip of his sword nicked the Catai's flesh, but it always failed to cut deep. He might be able to bleed out his opponent if he could endure long enough, but a killing blow remained beyond him.
"Coward!" The Catai let out a roar and charged directly at him, forcing Slaten to rapidly retreat. A human charging that way might get themselves killed, but a Catai could endure a counterattack and continue rushing forward.
But he wasn't fast enough. The sword shot out at him and he needed to duck backward to escape it, and a moment later the Catai's boot came after it.
Though he could see it coming, there was nothing he could do to prevent it colliding with his chest and sending him flying back, bouncing off the wall and then the floor. The most he could do was prevent himself from losing his sword or stabbing himself.
When Slaten managed to pull back to his feet, the sound echoed strangely. As the Catai followed, torch still held in his other hand, Slaten realized that he was standing in a larger chamber. There were three tunnels that went deeper, but two he could see had already ended and the third looked dangerously crooked. He had no choice but to fight in the chamber, without his primary advantage.
A fair victory was impossible, but Slaten thought he had a chance of winning if his opponent underestimated him, which was why he had fought cautiously and avoided using a hammer stroke. Yet he already felt himself slowing down, so as he focused on his sein, he knew that he needed to put everything into the next exchange.
Grinning, the Catai tossed his torch to the ground and gripped his sword with both hands. His first swing rang against the air itself, sweeping a deadly arc through the chamber.
Slaten only just managed to duck underneath it and struck back, this time relying more on strength than speed. The Catai attempted to push the thrust aside and grunted when Slaten's blade dug into his side. Yet he responded with a vicious backswing that Slaten only barely blocked, then struck him in the chest with the pommel of his sword, driving him against the wall.
But as the Catai reared back for a killing blow, Slaten reversed his grip as well, slamming the hilt of his sword into the Catai's face.
Both of them recoiled from the blow, Slaten staggering to the wall as the enormous body hit the floor. He'd forced as much of his sein into that exchange as he possibly could and it left him exhausted as his body drank in what remained. Following with another blow was no longer possible.
Which meant that he was dead, because the Catai pulled himself back to his feet. His nose was broken and blood poured down his face, but he was only somewhat stunned. Before Slaten could recover, the large mansthein gripped his sword and returned to his feet.
Without intending to, Slaten slumped to one knee, held up only by using his sword to support himself. Though he wanted to continue fighting, he recognized that it was hopeless. The simple fact was that he didn't have enough left. He needed his strengthened body to keep up with the Catai and he equally needed to invest his sein in his speed and his attacks. Any of those alone was useless and so he might as well have been exhausted.
Yet as the Catai advanced, dragging his sword over the rock, Slaten felt a strange sense of peace. He had fought long enough, but now the Hero would finish the battle.
Slaten pushed himself up to die as unpeacefully as he could.
~ ~ ~
Though Celivia should have been keeping her eyes on Jeraeli, who was still sliding through the poison ready to surprise them, she couldn't help but look toward the edge of the mine. She had just started to think that Splinters had died in the mists when he pulled himself up over the edge. Celivia jerked her gaze away, not wanting to alert Jeraeli.
When she turned to check Tani, she was surprised to see that the other woman had her eyes closed. Yet she appeared to be fully aware of everything around her, so Celivia decided to trust the other woman's senses. The currents of mist could be deceptive, but sein would be more reliable.
Without warning a pair of rocks hurtled from out of the mist toward them. It was not the first time Jeraeli had attacked at range and Celivia simply knocked one of them away... but she saw that Tani turned in her dodge, focusing toward their side.
Jeraeli leapt from the mists, trailing poison, her claws stabbing for them both.
Tani had anticipated the attack, but only had time to hurl a single knife that was easily deflected. Celivia used her warning to lash out with her whip. Jeraeli crossed her arms and caught the blow there, letting its momentum knock her back into the poison. She could wear them down, after all, and the fumes had risen to their knees.
But now the equation had changed. Celivia dared to look and saw that Splinters had dragged himself to the second tier, almost to the door. Puga was desperately reaching for the key, but they weren't near enough yet. While pretending to scan the mists, Celivia spoke quietly to Tani.
"Don't look, but one of my band has almost reached the door."
"Then the others have a chance to escape." Though Tani nodded grimly, her tone was much lighter.
"When they do, I suspect Jeraeli will try to use them against me. I'm going to fall into her trap and I need you to exploit that moment."
Before Jeraeli attacked again, the door was finally wrenched open. Several workers rushed out, gasping for breath so loudly that they ruined any chance of stealth. Puga attempted to lift Splinters back to his feet, but the other man struggled feebly.
Jeraeli leapt from the mist toward them, landing on the first tier of the mine. She could have attacked, but she delayed just a moment to let herself be seen, then jumped toward the fleeing women in a predictable arc.
Celivia leapt to stop her. Just as she'd feared, Jeraeli stepped off the rocky wall and whirled to face her, claws flying. Though Celivia managed to deflect the first, she knew she'd feel those claws in her chest...
A throwing knife buried itself in Jeraeli's side and she grimaced in pain. While still in midair, Celivia slammed her palm against the hilt, driving it deep.
Both of them crashed into the poisonous mists. Celivia landed on her feet and attempted to kick at her fallen opponent, but struck nothing. She had held her breath, but her eyes burned painfully, so she urgently retreated. When she landed on the outer level of the mine, she saw the torn fumes settling back into place, no sign of Jeraeli.
That would certainly not have killed her, but it might have slowed her down. Blinking away the pain in her eyes, Celivia staggered over to the door, where Puga still lingered next to Splinters. She read his expression immediately: though Splinters still lived, he wouldn't last for long. His face was covered in his own blood and his eyes were so bloodshot he didn't seem capable of seeing from them.
"Splinters..." She knelt down beside him, not sure what to say. "I don't think we can save you. But you saved them. Can you at least give me your real name so we can remember you?"
"It..." After a hacking cough, Splinters spat his own blood into her face, giving her one last glare. "It wasn't for you."
Then he collapsed back, his rasps slowly fading. Celivia wanted to remain by his side and try to understand just what had driven him. Had it been hatred, even at the end? Yet she knew that they had little time, and the greater threat of Melal still loomed, so she forced herself back to her feet to speak to Puga.
"Get all the rest of these people away. Follow the others, if you can."
"Yes, Kaen." He nodded briefly and then began herding the others. The second phase of the evacuation was going poorly, threatened by the ongoing battle between Veron and Myuneras. They violently threw themselves between the sides, triggering a collapse that sent the evacuees scattering. Puga went after some, and Tani rescued another from falling over the side, but they were all at risk.
But Celivia knew that she couldn't afford to guide them and could only trust her allies. Especially when she saw Jeraeli standing on the lowest island in the mine, poison swirling around her, hands slightly raised to her sides.
